When Dinosaur Worlds Collide
by Nate The Ape
Summary: It's one thing to see and interact with the cloned dinosaurs on Isla Nublar. But for Wu, Muldoon, and Nedry, it's a whole different ballgame to find themselves in the bodies of actual dinosaurs in Early Cretaceous Texas. And to make things even crazier, there's these four random teens in the same predicament too, who swear the trio are characters in a novel. A Dinoverse crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**If you've decided to take a seat and read this crazy crossover, I'm going to assume that you've read or seen Jurassic Park. It's far less likely though, that you've read the Dinoverse books, whose universe this story takes place in. They were six YA novels written by Scott Ciencin (who I just tragically discovered died last year)** **released around the turn of the millennium about people (mostly teenagers) sent back in time into the bodies of dinosaurs.** **Apparently written to capitalize on the popularity of Animorphs, they were never really all that well known, and essentially highly underrated.**

 **All six books are evenly split into three separate stories, each one being two books long. The second story, in which this fic takes place, was divided into the third and fourth books (counting the original story as two books).**

 **This particular story in the Dinoverse canon begins where the first ended; after an especially intelligent student/computer whiz named Bertram and his three fellow students, Mike, Candyace, and Janine. made it back to the present, Bertram entrusted the destruction of the M.I.N.D. Machine, his science fair project turned accidental time machine, to his science teacher, the eccentric Mr. London. However, London couldn't bring himself to destroy it, and instead hid the machine in the basement of the school where he tinkered with it, trying to figure out what made it tick.**

 **Once he unlocked the secrets, London activated the machine, zapping the minds of students (a different group from the previous story) as well as his own back in time to 112 million years ago, in Early Cretaceous Texas and Oklahoma, into the bodies of dinosaurs. When there, it is up to the students and London to solve the mystery of an extinction event at a place they call "Ground Zero" in order to prevent a catastrophic future, using a mysterious item known as the Amber Key.**

 **(as before, they communicate through some weird telepathic powers the M.I.N.D. Machine grants, which are also used in far more creative and bizarre ways in this story)**

 **And now, the cast of characters:**

 **Will Reilly, as** **a _Deinonychus_**  
 **Supposedly the most popular kid in the school, Will is always planning something to keep him under the spotlight along with his friends Lance, Percy, and Zane. Prior to being sent back in time, Will was in the final hours of his campaign for class president, confident that he'd win again, only to lose to a seemingly unknown kid. It's this that prompts Zane and his plan involving Patience to come about.**  
 **Back in the past now though, Will finds himself placed in the body of a low on the totem pole Deinonychus, a pack hunting raptor with a ravenous hunger. Unlike the other three, Will was placed precisely at Ground Zero. Separated from the others for the bulk of the story, Will attempts to solve the mystery on his own, confident that it has something to do with his body's raptor pack and the mountain valley they've chosen to stay in.**  
 **From the beginning, Will draws the envy and ire of an unusually ultra-intelligent raptor he nicknames "Junior" at first and "Hook" later (after it loses a sickle claw). Will's interactions with this raptor prove to later be at the crux of the whole mystery.**

 **-Patience McCray as** **an _Acrocanthosaurus_ **  
**A grumpy basketball player, Patience has been in and out of foster homes her whole life, which has convinced her that she can rely on no one, that everybody will eventually abandon or die on her. Friendless by choice, she is constantly ridiculed and ignored by the other, girlier female students for her tomboyish demeanor. It is this fact that draws her into Will and Zane's plan to help Will's ailing popularity; at Will's party originally intended to be his victory party, Patience would show up as Will's date, all girly and prettied up, to show that Will is so great that he even tamed the mighty Patience.**  
 **Patience doesn't respond all that kindly.**  
 **When sent back in time, she is placed in the body of an Acrocanthosaurus, a five-ton apex predator with an odd sail/ridge running down the length of its back. Unlike Will, she and the others are placed far away from Ground Zero and have to travel quite a distance to get there. In the group, it is her no-nonsense, get-shit-done attitude that makes her the defacto leader, but she starts off very cold and angry towards her companions. In time though, an encounter with her native Acrocanthosaurus family changes her disposition.**  
 **Among these Acrocanthosaurs she meets is an unrelated male Acro she names G.K. (short for "Green Knight"), that becomes attracted to her and she in turn develops some very weirdly romantic feelings for him.**

 **-Zane McInerny as a** _ **Pleurocoelus=Astrodon**_  
 **Resident class clown, the short and rotund Zane travels around with Will's posse, where he is known for pulling some of the most memorable and humorous pranks in school. Because of this, he is the frequent target of bullies, which is why he hangs with Will and friends. A kind of guy that no one takes seriously, Zane is the one who came up with the plan involving Will and Patience. While not known for his brains, Zane resents this and hides his serious intellect, deliberately acting the fool out of fear that no one would accept an intelligent class clown.**  
 **When Mr. London activates the machine, Zane is placed in the body of a Pleurocoelus, an obscure sauropod dinosaur, far bigger than his traveling companions. He spends a good bulk of the journey providing comic relief, really only helping out when his size is needed, tending to stay out of Patience's way. He eventually starts displaying his genius, however, and gets more serious.**  
 **All throughout the journey, Zane is followed by a smaller, younger Astrodon nicknamed "Runt," that is actually the younger sibling of Zane's Pleurocoelus body. Plucky and fearless, Runt helps provide both an exasperation and a moral foundation for Zane and Patience.**

 **-Bob London as a** _ **Hypsilophodon**_  
 **Bob London (known as Mr. London to the others) is Bertram's science teacher and the man who reactivated the M.I.N.D. Machine. Obsessed with it and the effects it had on Bertram and his companions, he became increasingly detached from reality. Known to be a bit eccentric, London is actually a fairly timid man who had no real childhood.**  
 **When he activated the machine, he was placed in the body of a Hypsilophodon, a small, fleet of foot, two legged plant eater. While first traveling with Patience and Zane, London takes a backseat role; while he is far and away the oldest one there and has ridiculously encyclopediac knowledge of the era, his inherent meekness and guilt over the predicament prevent him from taking a central role. However, when a storm separates him from Patience and Zane, in an effort to get back he finds the curious child that desires adventure in him again, and takes a much more active role in the events. With this reawakening, he starts to act considerably more childish and selfish, to the derision of his companions.**  
 **When separated, London meets a group of four Hypsilophodon that follow his every move. It's this new found popularity and realization of why Will does what he does that really awakens the inner child inside him.**

 **There, now you know all you need to know about the second Dinoverse story to understand this crossover fic!**

 **I of course, have added my own imaginative spin on things. I couldn't resist the idea of three Jurassic Park characters getting caught up in this adventure as well. There will be lots of interesting things happening indeed...**

 **And now, here we go!**

* * *

 **Bob.**

It both stung and frightened him, but Mr. London knew Principal Matthews had had a very valid point to make when they'd spoken earlier in his office about the science teacher's recent dinosaur-obsessive behavior.

" _Look Bob,_ " he'd told him, voice low and stern, " _I know you find Bertram's stories about being in the bodies of real dinosaurs wonderfully done and entertaining. I do too. And I agree with you that dinosaurs and prehistoric animals in general are an excellent, time-tested way to get kids interested in several different aspects of science._ "

" _However Bob,"_ the principal had continued, his eyebrows lowering and his gaze becoming sharper, _"it's come to my attention that you've-how should I say this politely?- gone somewhat off the deep end when it comes to these matters, to the point where you've been neglecting and ignoring the topics you're supposed to be currently teaching from the class syllabus. That's neither professional nor something we can tolerate here at Wetherford._ "

In the end, Matthews had given him a no-nonsense warning. Either the science teacher toned it down with the dino-mania and taught his classes according to the syllabuses…or he'd find himself in the unemployment line.

That really concentrated the mind, to put it mildly.

Now, as Mr. London sat in the staff lounge and ate a six-inch turkey and cheese sub with one hand, he used the other to read one of his favorite books, one which his renewed interest in the terrible lizards had prodded him into revisiting a few weeks ago.

Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton. God, could the man write! Mr. London had every one of his novels. Sphere and Congo were great as well.

He loved the movie immensely too, forever remembering the thrill he'd felt on seeing the spectacularly rendered CGI and animatronic dinosaurs, worlds apart from the pudgy, shuffling, jerky lizards of O'Brien and Harryhausen he'd known as a boy.

Too bad he'd have to leave the book at home now if he valued his job…

Suddenly, an unexpected resolve grasped him. It was one thing to imagine seeing a living dinosaur. To actually _**be**_ a living dinosaur, though…that was quite possibly within his grasp, thanks to Bertram Phillips and his incredible M.I.N.D. machine.

After his bosses' ultimatum, it was now or never. Speak now or forever hold your peace.

He didn't bother putting the copy of Jurassic Park down. Instead he tucked it under his left shoulder, and kept it wedged there, as he headed towards the high school's basement. It helped feed his motivation and strength.

Only when he'd reached his destination, the biofeedback machine and its many computer screens gleaming before him in the dim light, did he take the book and place it on a nearby folding chair.

When he sat in the old office chair that served as a console, the medical sensors stuck to various spots on his head and chest, the rational, pessimistic part of Bob London didn't really expect anything of note when he switched it on.

But it did.

"I can see any age. Any time," he intoned in disbelieving glee.

Then, the blue lightning, just like in the story. It came for him, tore the science teacher out of reality. He saw it strike others, three different students. The last thing he saw was a final bolt strike the copy of Jurassic Park, making it glow with a heatless sapphire flame.

* * *

 **Muldoon**

Muldoon moved past the Jeep, toward the back. The steel door to the armaments room was unmarked. He unlocked it with his key, and swung the heavy door wide. Gun racks lined the interior. He pulled out a Randler Shoulder Launcher and a case of canisters. He tucked two gray rockets under his other arm.

After locking the door behind him, he put the gun into the back of the Jeep. As he left the garage, he heard the distant rumble of thunder.

And then suddenly, there was a colossal supernova of electric blue, accompanied by a whip-crack sound that seemed to blow the world apart as a bolt of lightning struck Muldoon in the chest, knocking him backward onto the dirt.

For a moment, his first thought was that one of the grenades had somehow gone off. Then he realized what had actually happened. Lightning could hit a person as much as ten miles away from the edge of a storm, he knew. And his number had apparently just been drawn.

* * *

 **Henry**

Henry Wu shook his head and lightly compressed his lips in irritation as he stood in the control room.

Didn't these people understand that he and the others knew what they were doing? That they didn't take these animals lightly?

Malcom especially, seemed to think him and his staff as little better than a clown college.

They had the right and the duty to express valid concerns about the park and the dinosaurs, yes. But there was also a time when it just wasn't funny anymore. And that time was now.

Then, suddenly, Wu felt an odd sensation within and around him. At first he thought it was his umbrage at their guests.

But no. His skin felt cold and prickly. And he thought he felt something of an electric charge, a hum in the air that shouldn't be there, a sense of something starting to make a gap in space above him.

Suddenly, a streak of blue-white lightning shot out from the floor. Everyone screamed and leapt back, and Wu saw Nedry take a hit from the bolt, even as it struck the geneticist at the same moment.

The floor, the entire control room, seemed to disappear as strange energies engulfed him, made his body tense. Electricity surrounded him. A strange machine seemed to rock and quake at his side.

Suddenly Wu was free of his body. He had the overpowering sensation that he was now a being composed of thought energy, of desires and dreams. Not a god, not a person, not a spirit, but all of that and none of that at once.

He heard a strange man's voice shout in disbelief, "What?! There's actually a reality where these characters exis-"

And then Henry Wu was somewhere _else_ , his true body slumped in a coma on the floor of Jurassic Park's control room along with Dennis Nedry's.

* * *

 **Henry**

The next moment, Wu found himself in a state of bliss as the warm rain poured down on his chest and belly. He was writhing on his back in a patch of coarse gravel, head raised as he scratched the itchy fly bites dotting his spine and shoulders against it. His skin felt odd. Wrinkly. Thick. Rubbery.

It was taking a chance, being in such a vulnerable position like this, when a predator could burst out of ambush and take him before he'd even be able to get to his feet, much less run.

But the rainstorm and presence of the other four bulls, resting or browsing in the rain around him, made that unlikely, and he could indulge in a back scratch in safety. Okay, the bites on his back had had their share of gravel scrubbing. Time to get back onto his feet and have a drink from one of the pools of rainwater.

Turning onto his right side, Wu reached out with his left hand and foot, shifting his weight as he stood back up on all fours.

Wait a minute. On _all **fours**_?!

It was then that Henry Wu's mind finally snapped to attention.

He suddenly remembered the lightning striking him in the control room, along with Nedry. And now…

There were ferns all around him, taller tree ferns, a bunch of cycads off to his right, conifers like pencil pines, cypress, and junipers, clumps of palmettos, horsetails, and scattered taller palms. There were also herbs and flowering bushes as well.

And most importantly, there were the dinosaurs, four large, thick-tailed herbivores peacefully cropping ferns and bushes around him with their turtle beaks. A little under half a mile to his left, Wu saw an entire herd of the same species, close to sixty strong, with about fifteen long-necked sauropods mingled among them, all browsing their way through the open forest.

He couldn't believe it. How could he possibly have gotten not only outside the building, but inside one of the herbivore paddocks as well? How could that have been allowed to happen? And _why_ did his skin feel so strange and rough?

Something seemed "off" about the dinosaurs though. The sauropods, for one. Their front legs were much longer than their back ones, like a hyena's, and their tails were much shorter than an apatosaur's. And their heads were radically different too, with large nasal chambers, chunkier, shorter, and broader than that of the elongated, horse-like ones of Apatosaurus. The smaller herbivores looked quite similar to hadrosaurs-but they too, were not quite the same, with distinct spikes on their thumbs and different heads.

He hadn't cloned any dinosaurs like these in the lab-he'd definitely have recognized them if he had. And they all seemed distinctly _smaller_ than they should've been from his perspective.

Either that, or he was much bigger.

What was going on here?

Taking a deep breath, Wu turned his head both to get a better look at the herd and get his bearings. When he did, the part of the herd he was trying to focus on vanished. It just _vanished_ from his vision.

(What the hell!?) the geneticist gasped. He gasped again and jerked at the realization that although he'd moved his mouth and "heard" his speech, he hadn't actually produced any sounds.

He could see the left portion of the dinosaur herd...and the right portion too. But the part he was supposed to be looking dead-on at wasn't there! And he realized then that everything he actually was seeing had a flatness to it, not as much of a sense of depth to the objects. There was a modest, but bizarre blurriness to everything as well. He no longer had any stereoscopic vision!

Cautiously, he tried to stand up…and found it unexpectedly difficult, wobbling and tottering. What in fiery Hell had the lightning strike _done_ to him?

He tried to look down at his hands, but again, only saw what was off to the sides. Tilting his head and craning his neck to compensate, Wu stared out of his right eye at his hands-and got a profound shock.

(It just can't be...) he whispered.

Instead of his pale brown human hands with their flat nails and long fingers, he saw, spaced far farther apart then what should be anatomically possible, a pair of dolphin gray, scaly mittens of flesh, speckled with slate blue. Sticking out from where his thumb should be was a great black stiletto of a spike, and on the other side of the mitten was an opposable little finger, ending in a sort of little dark gray hoof, like a rhino's. He knew very well which genus of dinosaur had bony spikes for thumbs.

Wu decided to raise his left hand-and one of the mitts moved in response!

(Holy Christ!) he yelped loudly in that freakish internal voice.

In rapidly growing agitation, Wu waved his thick tail. Good God, his _tail?! _ And how could he be able to clearly see it waving about?! His range of vision in general frankly, was abnormally wide.

He clenched his eyes shut and took a few deep breaths, desperately trying to keep it together, to regard things rationally. What was happening to him?! What had to be behind this?

Wu went down a mental checklist of what could be a potential cause for these crazy perceptions. He'd never done drugs, far less ones that caused hallucinations. He drank on occasion, but not even remotely enough to induce deliriums. Could the lightning strike have done it, scrambled his brain?

He honestly didn't know which possibility he found to be more horrifying.

At any rate, he'd heard of people having either temporary or permanent problems with short or long-term memory, and/or being more prone to confusion after surviving bolts from the blue-which could certainly explain him regaining awareness in a dinosaur paddock. You'd think the Tican guards would've intervened long before that though.

And he knew that a lightning strike could likewise alter a person's sensory awareness, with effects ranging from a sense being sharpened to being completely lost, to perceiving stimuli abnormally. Then why did the rain falling on him, the insects crawling on his skin, the plants touching him, the dung and wet soil he smelt, come across as so _**real**_?

 _Maybe it's all a dream_ , he thought desperately. _I'll open these eyes, and I'll wake up to normalcy, to the real world in my bed on Isla Nublar._

He carefully, expectantly reopened his eyes. Still unable to see in front of him. Still an astonishing field of vision, able to look back along vertically wrinkled, scaly flanks. Still seeing objects as flat and somewhat blurry. Still entirely new dinosaurs around that didn't "look" the right size, with no electric fences, dirt roads, or any other manmade things to be seen. He gave a slow, deliberate gulp, starting to shudder all over.

 _Perceiving_ something with your senses is one thing. _Comprehending_ and accepting it is quite another.

(No. This is impossible. I can't be trapped like this...) he whispered.

But the denial could only last for so long. _It was not a dream_ , Wu realized in confused horror.

As Conan Doyle's legendary detective would say, when you had eliminated the impossible, whatever remained, however improbable (or terrible), was the truth. Even if that truth should be impossible in its own right.

Henry Wu knew what he _should_ be. He should be a brilliant, thirty-three year old Chinese-American geneticist from Columbus, Ohio, with a degree from Stanford University, currently performing the groundbreaking procedure of bringing dinosaurs back to life from DNA in preserved blood on a remote island off the west coast of Costa Rica.

But that somehow wasn't him any longer. His soul, consciousness, mind, or whatever, was now inhabiting another skin, another body, that of an Iguanodon, the "original" dinosaur.

( _ **Nnnooooooooo!**_ ) he wordlessly shrieked, a deep, nasal drone erupting from his beaked mouth that made the four bulls around him startle in their own panic, wheeling about and wildly scanning the landscape, standing on their hind feet and wielding their thumb spikes as they braced for a presumed predator to come at them. ( _This_ _ **can't**_ _be happening to me! I'm_ _not_ _trapped in the past, in a dinosaur's body_!)

A blind panic overtook Wu then. He stood up on the Iguanodon's broad, three-toed feet and broke into a desperate, out-of-control run, smashing and crashing through the ferns and palmettos, as if he could somehow burst out of the dinosaur's skin as his rightful self if he could just go fast enough, or race into the future.

As his new, three and a half ton body bulldozed through the forest, small mammals and lizards and birds scattering before him, another portion of Henry Wu's mind was dully, deeply baffled. Why were they running in terror like this? There were no predators chasing them, no scent or sound of danger. Even if there _was_ something big and toothy out there, the long-necked browsers with the breeding herd nearby would've detected it and sounded an alarm by now.

Wu didn't have either the time or desire to dwell on what that new, _other_ part of himself was, or what its existence implied. His new legs were amazingly powerful and strong, the bunched thigh muscles full of stamina and able to generate strides at least three times longer than a human's.

After several hundred yards of panicked flight, Wu suddenly tripped over a fallen log, landing hard on his chest in the mud and soaked leaves with a sharp grunt.

(Ouch,) he moaned, gingerly gathering his dinosaur limbs underneath him and standing back up, shaking his head like a horse. (Thank God I didn't break anything,) he muttered in his new head-voice. Moving about in this body was challenging. He just wasn't used as yet to its weight, its titanic power.

Then he heard another creature moving through the understory, from his front right side. The Iguanodon didn't seem concerned in the least by its sound or scent, but Wu froze and stood up on his hind feet anyway.

(Henry?) a familiar voice suddenly demanded silently in his head. (Henry, is that your voice?)

(Who's there?!) he demanded, hope swelling within him.

A dark brown-gray shape emerged from a group of cycads then, moving with the deceptively quick, jogging trot of a hippo. It was another, different type of dinosaur, with a low, broad body and no taller than a man's chest. The dino looked to be about fifteen feet long, with an extremely long tail. Muscled like a weightlifter, it was absolutely _covered_ in bony armor.

Its arched back had parallel rows of large, cone-shaped pieces of bone curving across it, with smaller, pebble like armor filling in the spaces around and between. Over the hips, the bone pebbles and larger domed plates were fused very tightly together to form an impenetrable shield of bone. Behind them, flat triangular plates lined the edges of the long tail, pointing outward and growing smaller as the tail became thinner. Two rows of domed scutes ran down the length of its neck.

But what really got Wu's attention were the massive ebony spikes. Three massive pairs, curved like fourteen inch long horns and shining like raku ware, jutted out from each side of the dinosaur's neck, with a shorter one just below. Most impressive of all were the spikes on the shoulders, each one guarded by a two foot spear of bone and horn, shaped like a long thorn and every bit as sharp. A row of shorter spikes ran along each flank.

This was clearly some type of ankylosaurid, and one obviously well able to deal with anything the age of dinosaurs could throw at it.

The armored dinosaur slowed down, and then came closer, stopping to regard Wu with its tiny amber eyes as the rain streamed off its back.

(Hey there,) Wu greeted it, feeling a little bit silly.

The other dinosaur's eyes widened, and Wu "heard" a voice say in his mind, (Henry, is that you!?)

(Rob?) Wu said in wonder.

(None other,) was the armored dinosaur's response as it nodded. At that, Henry Wu felt his body sag in relief. If he hadn't had a beak at the end of his face, he would've given a grateful grin. As it was, he broke out into laughter, produced both by the ridiculousness of it all and out of a deeply thankful pleasure. At least he was no longer alone.

* * *

 **Muldoon**

Robert Muldoon was a very practical, down-to-earth man. It hadn't taken him very long to realize what he'd become and how very much out of time he was. And he knew that he wasn't dreaming or suffering brain damage.

But oh my God, had things just become curious and bloody curiouser, to paraphrase Alice. It was sheer madness as a concept.

Now, in this strange world of the past, he stood in the rain with an Iguanodon currently inhabited by the mind of his colleague, Henry Wu. Bloody strange position, being on all fours like this. All his human instincts were prodding him to stand up.

First order of business was to at least try to figure out what exactly had done this to them. Then they both needed to calmly study this situation, their new way of being, think about how to cope and what to do.

(Were you hit by that blue lightning too?) Wu asked hurriedly in Muldoon's head.

(Yes, I was. While leaving the garage where the Jeeps are kept. You must've been in the control room.)

Wu nodded his great, scaly horse head. (Which is odd, because although I can understand _you_ getting struck, since you were outside, the electrical grid is supposed to be insulated against such an event.)

(Well, at any rate, it happened. And it's obviously connected to why we're here. I'll be damned if I could even begin to guess what role it played exactly though.)

(That makes two of us. This doesn't make any sense!) Wu cried suddenly. (I don't want to be like this,) he panted in growing hysteria, pacing like a leopard in a zoo cage as the muscles of his new body worked underneath his baggy monitor lizard hide. (I don't want to be a damned dinosaur, but a human again!)

(I know, but we've got to stay calm Henry. We've got to keep it together!)

(Keep it together?! _**Keep it together?!**_ How can you say that when you're also walking on all fours, with a tail and covered in spikes like some monster?!)

(Hey, this isn't exactly something I'm bloody delighted about either, Henry! And I can't help that I look this way!)

(We're never getting back. We're going to live out our lives in this prehistoric swamp and jungle until we either die of old age or get kil-)

(Listen to me Henry. _Listen to me,_ ) Muldoon commanded. (Working out in the bush,) he continued, (one life lesson I learned quickly is to just take one day at a time. And as a good mentor of mine once said, 'Sometimes you're just better off accepting that the way things are, are the way things are.')

Wu snorted in contempt. (That's bullcrap. No way on Earth am I ever accepting _this_!)

(Well, you've got to. We can't afford to go into hysterics, or we'll end up dead. You hear me? We need to focus on the moment and what might have happened to us.)

Wu's great goat eyes slowly closed.

(Are you feeling faint?) Muldoon asked in concern. (You should probably sit down if you are.)

(I would but...I don't even know _how_ to sit down as an Iguanodon.)

(Well, you must have seen the hadros sit down, right? Or ostriches? Just try to follow their example,) he suggested.

Somehow, with a lot of wobbling and a near-faceplant, the geneticist managed to get his body into a seated position, supporting his weight on the calloused bottom of the Iguanodon's pubic bone, body at a 45 degree angle to the ground.

Muldoon was silent for a while after that, gently swishing his long tail through the ferns. Wu did the same.

(This reminds me,) he said at length, (quite a lot of The Sword in the Stone, and how Merlin turned Arthur into several different kinds of animals to educate him about the world.)

Wu shook his head hard, then blinked. (I've got to keep in mind how heavy and differently balanced this body I'm not supposed to be in is. But no Rob, I'm not a man who believes in magic mumbo-jumbo.)

(I don't either,) Muldoon replied in their strange new telepathic method of talking. (And if we can find any hard facts that can give us even a glimmer of an idea of why we're in this time and these bodies, by all means let's use them to full advantage. All I'm saying is we need to think outside the box, be prepared to take the fantastic into account.)

Wu pondered that for a time. (Well, I guess you're right about that, considering this is fantastic enough already,) he said, giving a lunatic sort of chuckle.

(I suppose it could be worse,) he went on as he scanned the forest. (While I'd really rather not have been tossed back into the deep past like this, at least this Iguanodon's body feels like it can take care of itself just fine. And I don't think a predator would even _consider_ going after you!) he laughingly added.

(You've certainly got an impressive bulk and pair of thumb spikes,) Muldoon agreed. (And I'd love to see a predator dinosaur try for me, you're right about that,) he chuckled smugly.

(And we're both herbivores, so at least we won't have to hunt down food.)

(Right. I suppose it goes without saying that we've got to stay together, in the interest of both our sanity and mutual protection,) Muldoon reflected as he scanned the forest about them.

(I don't know if that'll be nearly enough to ward off madness for me.)

Suddenly Wu carefully, shakily stood back up on his muscular hind legs, branches brushing his head as he very deliberately tried to get a scent on the crisp, wet breeze. (Speaking of protection though…)

(What? What is it Henry?)

Wu's nostrils flared again in their exotic pouches of pumpkin orange skin. (That's bizarre. This Iguanodon's nose is detecting…don't call me crazy, but-)

(Just tell me.)

(It's…it's smelling the odor of _fear_. From something deeply terrified. Something alone, and coming this way.)

Another voice rang out in their heads then, accompanied by a piercing yelp.

( **Help me !** Help _mmmeeeeeee!_ )

Muldoon saw Wu's goatish eyes widen in recognition.

(Who the bloody hell is _that_ now?) Muldoon inquired, standing on tiptoe and facing in the same direction as Wu.

(You won't believe this, but…it has to be the other person I remember now who I saw also get hit in the control room.)

( **NO, NO** , _for the love of God,_ _ **nnnooooo**_ _!_ )

(I've only been around him for a few hours,) Wu amended, (but that voice is unmistakably Dennis Nedry's!)

And he was coming their way.

* * *

 **Please do leave reviews to light up my day!**

 **For those who may not know, Muldoon is co-habiting the body of a nodosaurid known as Sauropelta, or "lizard shield." Wu of course, is in an Iguanodon bull. As for Nedry...you'll have to see next chapter! And even more importantly, either my next chapter or the one after will see our Jurassic Park stars encounter the Dinoverse teens-and both parties will have their minds seriously blown.**


	2. Chapter 2

**And now we see just what body our favorite sellout to BioSyn is inhabiting...**

* * *

 **Dennis**

Dennis Nedry tore through the dense, soaking wet jungle, water flying out from under his feet. A pair of nightmares were hard on his heels. His pursuers were dinosaurs. Velociraptors, like the ones at the park, like the baby he'd seen in the nursery-but those were safely kept behind an electrified fence.

 _Okay Dennis_ , he commanded himself, _you're going to wake up from this lunatic nightmare. Right now!_

It didn't happen. So he kept running, crashing through ferns and hurdling fallen logs. Branches and leaves snapped and scraped against his drenched body, but he felt no pain, just the impact and a weird dragging feeling. He seemed surprisingly light on his feet as well.

He inhaled. Besides the normal scents of a rain-soaked jungle, the whole place had a distinct, herbal reek to it, like a cattle or horse barn at a state fair. There were a good deal of damaged trees and other plants around him too.

His legs moved at an amazing clip as he continued his flight. Instead of being pudgy and thick, they were now thin and lean, but still quite strong. _Like an antelope's,_ he supposed, if that made any sense.

Of course, this was all just a terribly crazy dream, he knew-and when did dreams _ever_ make sense?

Nedry shot a glance over his shoulder at the raptors chasing him. His vision was oddly sharp, he realized, even in this dim light.

Through the silver veils of rain he saw them, just sixty feet behind. These raptors didn't look like lizards.

They were covered in goddamn _feathers_ , of all things, long, thin ones that lay flat against their bodies and tails. Their plumage was teal green on their shoulders and backs, with the rest of their bodies covered in patches of dark green and yellow ochre and ivory white and tan, reminding Nedry somewhat of African hunting dogs. The long, counterbalancing tails of the dinosaurs were ringed with black and yellow, with a bright orange fan of feathers on the end.

Wing-like feathers sprouted from their arms, black like a raven's and covering most of the hand. No, black like a vulture's, like some angel of death! Only their trident hands, feet, and the front half of their muzzles, covered in a beak-like sheath of ivory horn, were bare. The hands and feet of the raptors were covered in scales and citron yellow in color. Their penetrating copper eyes, pupils vertical slits like in a rattlesnake's, stared ahead, and their mouths hung partly open, displaying yellowed, backward-hooked, razor sharp teeth. Red crests on their heads, like a pileated woodpecker, were raised in excitement or maybe aggression.

The sight prodded him into running faster than he ever had before, but it still wasn't good enough. For a while this nightmare footrace had been just about even. The raptors had stamina, but were _comparatively_ slow. He was significantly faster and more agile-somehow-but didn't have that much staying power, or as long of a stride.

Nedry had also managed to keep ahead of his pursuers by going low, ducking through tangled thickets and mazes of brush where they couldn't easily follow. The fact that he was somehow half the height he normally was in this insane dream also helped to no end as well. But the raptors always found a way to get back on his tail.

Now they sounded forty feet behind!

He decided he might as well scream for help, just in case. So he did.

Suddenly, another pair of dinosaurs appeared through the rain in front of him. One looked like a thirty-five foot cross between a lizard and a horse.

It was a rich bronze in color, scrawled with red ochre and mottled with creamy white. Carmine scales ringed its golden sheep eyes, contrasting with a great patch of indigo purple that formed a domino mask on the dinosaur's horsey face. To Nedry, it made the dinosaur somewhat resemble The Lone Ranger after he'd had too much to drink. The skin around its nostrils was bright orange, and thick, alternating dashes of emerald green and cinnabar red adorned its long throat. Its hands and feet were silver gray, dotted with slate blue, with a lavender band of scales around each ankle.

But while the dinosaur might've looked a lot like a horse in many aspects, it was easily four, five, times bigger than any horse Nedry had ever laid eyes on though, sporting a big, serrated slate gray beak at the end of its face in place of a horse's fleshy lips.

The other was short and solidly built, gray-brown, covered in armor and spikes, head streaked with denim blue and looking somewhat like an oddly deformed snapping turtle-except this was a snapper the size of a black rhinoceros.

He was trapped! No, wait a sec. They didn't seem to have the teeth and claws of carnivores.

 _That still doesn't mean they aren't dangerous though_ , Nedry reminded himself. _Even a_ _horse or brahma bull can mess a cowboy or farmer up pretty damn good, and I'd **really** hate to find out just what one of _ these _beasts could do!_

Still, they seemed to be the lesser of the two evils here by far. Operating almost on autopilot, Nedry made his choice, screwed up his courage, and zipped between the two surprised large herbivores, hoping they'd keep the raptors occupied and that they hadn't gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. In seconds, he was two dozen yards behind their waving tails.

There was suddenly a perception of a _second_ , radically different set of instincts within him, an exotic mind that was both simpler and sagacious. It approved of the maneuver he'd just executed. It also had no doubts that trying to steal from a sickle-claw kill had obviously proven to be an extremely bad idea! No matter _how_ much it pleased your hen to receive gifts of meat scraps.

(Mr. Nedry! Stop, wait!) the horse-lizard creature also yelled in his head.

Nedry put on the brakes, stretching out his arms. This was all a screwed up dream, so _obviously_ the big bronze and red horse dinosaur with the indigo mask would know his name. Why bother acknowledging it? He decided to keep running from the feathered raptors, now spitting, cawing, and growling in frustration as they tried to get around the bigger dinosaurs.

(Dennis Nedry!) Another voice. This one was different, coming from the huge-spiny-snapping turtle-as-designed-by-Picasso thing.

(Mr. Nedry, come back!) the first voice demanded, the one of the horse looking dinosaur. _Wait a moment._

That was the geneticist dude's voice! _Dr. Wu's_ voice! Nedry halted again and looked over his shoulder, where he saw Dr. Wu-oh _hell no_ , that just couldn't be the case, not even in a fever dream, it was just far too insane-rear up to confront the pair of raptors. He let out a cavernous bellow, resounding and hollow and scratchy, that made Nedry clutch himself in terror.

Weird how soft and warm his body felt, even in this downpour. His fingers seemed to go into something that was yielding, made of filaments, before actually touching his skin. It reminded Nedry almost of stroking a cat. Was he wearing a fur coat in this dream? And what was that strange type of _heaviness_ he felt on his butt?

Some part of him told the programmer not to dare look at it, but he did anyhow.

A long tail, covered in fuzzy feathers, protruded from between his hips. It was attached to his spine. The feathers on _his freaking **tail**_ were colored in thin bands of silver and black, while those on his body were a rich, dark blue, like a sapphire, and spangled with silver daubs. He gleamed with iridescence.

For some reason, a snatch of song from West Side Story randomly came to him.

 _I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and bright!_

He looked at his thighs-and jerked in shock. He'd lost a lot of weight…but not in the way he'd have preferred. What in God's name had happened to him? His body was slim, lean, and covered in feathers! He had no nipples, no external genitals. That last fact was probably for the best, since he was bare-ass naked.

Right before Nedry's mind could collapse, a desperate idea came to him. His imagination and subsumed 'better nature,' respectively focused on and unconsciously tormented by his impending theft for BioSyn, were subconsciously punishing their master by placing him in a crazy body for the duration of this dream, that was all.

Well, it didn't sit well with him one damn bit!

The horse dinosaur cut loose with another hollow, scraping bellow, this time rearing up before slamming its forefeet against the ground. Then both it and the snapping turtle dinosaur charged the raptors as one. Nedry closed his eyes and hung his head, quaking as he hoped for the best.

A scraping bark, seeming to come from one of the raptors.

Forcing himself to open his eyes, Nedry raised his head, and through the sheets of rain saw to his relief that the pair of bizarro feathered raptors had apparently had enough, water splashing under their wickedly clawed feet as they turned tail and jogged off into the jungle.

(Great,) the snapping turtle dinosaur muttered ruefully as it watched them go. (There are bloody _raptors_ sharing this forest and this time with us. Smaller than the vicious chaps we all know and love at the park, to be true, but still...just what we bloody need!) it groaned.

(Did you see that?) the horse lizard said in wonder and amazement. (Those raptors here-raptors as real and accurate as they can be-had a coat of _**feathers!**_ Feathers, just like those of a bird…and it turns out they belong on them after all!)

Suddenly, to Nedry's amazement, the telepathic dinosaur that "sounded" like Dr. Wu actually slumped, as if the damn lizard was remorseful. (And here I thought it was a mistake, one caused by the chicken DNA I was using for patching the gaps early on in the project,) it said with mournful regret. (But they were actually _supposed_ to look that way all the time! Those raptors were put down _for nothing_!) he/it grated, eyes narrowing in fury.

The other dinosaur snorted in what seemed like dismissive contempt. (Who gives a toss?! In fact, I'd gladly love to see _all_ those vicious damn raptors put down, and if your lab knows what's good for them, they won't churn out any more ever again.)

(That's not going to happen Rob.) The horse dinosaur bared its serrated beak and gave a low, chesty growl of anger or disapproval before turning its back on the armored turtle one to face Nedry. A herbivore it might be, but the programmer was paralyzed by its gaze all the same, his head feeling light as the long camel head tilted slightly to regard him better.

 _For the love of God, don't faint Dennis,_ he begged himself.

It took a careful, respectful stride in his direction. (Mr. Nedry. It's me, Dr. Wu, from the control room. Who talked to your group about the amber. I got hit by the lightning too. Don't worry, Rob and I won't hurt you. I know what this must look like, but you don't have to be frightened.)

This was way too far-out. Too much for anybody to expect him to be able to cope with. Why couldn't he snap out of it, wake himself up and be free of this madhouse of a dream?!

For a moment in time, the entire universe, the flow of time, seemed to stand still for him and every living creature as the rain pelted down.

(Dr. Wu?) Nedry ventured experimentally.

(Yes. You can just call me Henry though. The armored guy is Jurassic Park's game warden, Robert Muldoon, whom I don't believe you've met as yet.)

(But-but-you-you're both dinosaurs.)

(As we've noticed. You are too.)

Nedry stared at him in abject confusion. Could such a thing be truly possible? Then he slowly looked over his shoulder and down at his tail once more. The tail was twitching, like a cat's. _He_ was making it twitch out of nervousness.

(No,) he whispered in horror. (No, no, no, no…)

The programmer held his hands up to his face, which now jutted out into his vision. They weren't his hairless, pudgy hands. Not anymore. They were purple-brown, scaly tridents, tipped with curved claws. His forearms and wrists bore the same slicked back, sapphire blue feathers as his body, but they also had longer, shafted carmine and copper feathers too, jutting from the arm bones.

(Almost like a crude wing,) Dr. Wu commented in fascination, head inhumanly cocked.

Nedry ignored him as he took a deep breath and then delicately tried touching his face. It was bare and scaly near the front, but the middle of his muzzle-Dear God, his **muzzle**!-and the back part of his head were covered in short, dense feathers. His jaws were like a set of poultry shears, only thicker and blunter at the tip. He had a triangular tongue, and snaggled, curved teeth that were serrated on the inner edge. His fat cheeks were gone. His lips were gone. He had feathers in place of hair. His little snub nose was gone.

His head felt light again. He sank down, knees bending _backward_. That exotic set of instincts inside of Nedry assured him that this was perfectly normal. He noticed a sickle claw on each foot. Like a raptor's.

One last desperate, painfully obvious possibility occurred to Dennis Nedry then.

He laughed grimly before raising his head and saying, (You know, I'm not proud to admit this to you guys, but during my last two years of high school and my freshman year of college, I did _so_ much acid. I'd have trips where I'd think that I was a telephone, or that I was a glass of milk, and if you touched me I'd spill, or that people in pictures would talk to me, see the room lights turning into swirling vortexes of colors, that kind of far-out stuff. Now it looks like I've had a seriously bad flashback coming back to haunt me," he giggled.

(Last time I checked though, it's awfully difficult for two, far less three, people to share the same severe hallucination without some sort of prior agreement,) Dr. Wu half-jokingly pointed out.

(And anyway, neither Henry or I have touched LSD in our lives,) Muldoon chimed in. (So it's not an acid flashback or a dream. I sincerely wish I could tell you otherwise. We're…we're somehow stuck here, in dinosaur times and bodies.)

(You honestly mean…What in holy hell?!) As it began to sink in, Nedry decided that swearing a blue streak would do him some good, finishing it up with a strangled, despairing cry. He began to rock back and forth.

And with a terrible finality, his thoughts in a whirl, Dennis realized that he was trapped. In the distant prehistoric past. At the worst possible time, when he was hours away from stabbing Cheap Bastard Hammond in the back and making a million and a half bucks from an eagerly awaited secret deal with the devil named Lewis Dodgson. In the body of an overgrown, ninety pound prehistoric turkey. With Dr. Wu, the man behind those precious embryos. And some Smokey Bear/Great White Hunter wanna-be.

(No, no, no, no,) he chanted again.

(You know, that's not really helping my own sanity very much either,) Henry thinly hinted. (I'm not in a very stable place right now,) he said shakily.

Nedry didn't give a damn as his new body swayed. He wanted to run in mindless terror. Only his body just wouldn't obey him.

A strange, milky membrane slid across his eyes. The world went dark, and he slumped over onto his left side, hearing Muldoon bark, (Oh shit, he's going down! Grab him Henry!)

He felt his body crash into the soft ferns and horsetails.

Then he didn't feel or think anything else.

And in those last wavering seconds of consciousness, he was grateful about that. So grateful.

* * *

 **Considering Nedry's sneaky behavior, cunning intelligence, and the fact that he uses his agile hands to make a living, I decided to place him in the body of a troodontid theropod. This presented something of a problem of course, for while Nedry's new dinosaur body is roughly based off Troodon proper, it lived 55 million years after this fic takes place. Indeed, I don't think any fossils of New World troodontids are known from this time. We DO though, have fossils of primitive troodontids from around this time in Asia, and there was a land bridge to the Americas during that period as well. So let's just say that Dennis is currently in the body of a-as-yet-undiscovered, native American "stem" troodontid, and leave it at that. :)**

 **Oh, and one more thing. The name Troodon, as you may know, means "wounding tooth." Very fitting beastie for a character whose duplicitous actions brought about so much death and harm...**

 **As always, I crave reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Muldoon**

One advantage which came of suddenly having eyes placed on the sides of their heads, Muldoon thought, was that at least he and Wu didn't have to turn their heads to make eye contact any longer. And they could use their other eye to do a constant, 180 degree scan of the forest for predators. Like the blasted raptors.

Right now they were both ambling down a king-sized game trail, side by side. He could feel the light, warm weight of Nedry's unconscious dinosaur body on his armored tabletop of a back as he tried to get accustomed to his own body's lower vantage point. It had a very good sense of smell. Hearing too. It was also very confident and unafraid.

This dinosaur knew that its armor and spikes made it a very nasty mouthful indeed for any predator that might try to swallow it. Even the pack-hunting raptors didn't really concern its tiny brain all that much.

When he'd collapsed, Muldoon and Wu obviously couldn't just leave him there. Nor was it safe, they agreed, to idly stand around and wait for the programmer to come to. Not with raptors about, no matter how big and well-armed their new bodies were.

So Muldoon had gotten down on his new dino body's knees and elbows, while Wu had used the opposable little fingers on each of the Iguanodon's hands to awkwardly grasp Nedry's ankles, then gently lift him up into the air, upside down. Somehow, the geneticist had managed to place him on Muldoon's broad back without Nedry being impaled or jabbed by the bone spikes, head dangling down so as not to aspirate rainwater.

(Well,) Wu sighed, (I guess that's all of us accounted for. Unless you saw that blue lightning hit one of the workmen or the cars or something like that.)

(Not to my knowledge.)

(I hope Nedry wakes up soon,) Wu said as he rotated his right eye down a little. (If that blue lightning had anything to do with the computer system like I suspect it did, his knowledge and skills might be a big asset in helping us at least _understand_ what caused this time and consciousness displacement. I wouldn't mind it if Arnold was here too,) he added.

(He'll be okay,) Muldoon replied, tilting his head and craning his leathery neck to meet Wu's gaze with his left eye. (I can feel his heartbeat through this dino's shell, and he'll come out of it soon enough. At least I didn't have to deal with _you_ fainting Henry,) he smoothly chuckled.

(I damn near did,) Wu humorlessly laughed. (And I still might yet.)

(So,) Muldoon went on, switching to a different topic, (any idea of what type of dinosaur Nedry ended up as?)

(Not precisely, no,) Wu replied, lightly shaking his head. Very odd, to see a dinosaur responding in such an eerily human manner. (He looks quite a bit like a velociraptor…but his dino body is more lightly built, and from what I can see of them, the teeth in his mouth look much different. They're shorter and more triangular, for one thing. If forced to choose, I'd guess he's a close relative to Troodon.)

 _Whatever sort of dinosaur that was,_ Muldoon thought.

(And of course, the color of his plumage is much different than what we saw on the pair of raptors,) Wu added. (Plumage,) he said again in disbelieving wonder. (I never would've guessed. I knew that dinosaurs, _especially_ theropods, were essentially massive, toothed birds,) he droned contemplatively to himself, (but this goes beyond my wildest imagination or expectations. I just didn't anticipate what should've seemed so obvious...didn't _know_.)

(You're not the only one,) Muldoon agreed. (They're more like prehistoric bustards, pheasants, or guinea fowl, aren't they? We're getting a wealth of honest information from this experience, that's for sure!)

(Too bad we'll never be able to make use of or share it,) Wu droned bitterly. (What I could do with it at the genetics lab!)

Suddenly, Henry came to a stop. Muldoon did as well.

Wu gave a resigned sigh. (Robert, can I ask you something?)

(Go ahead. We've got all the time in the world.) The irony of the statement made Muldoon chuckle. They most certainly did.

(How the hell are you being able to cope with this so amazingly well? I mean, one moment you're leaving the garage, the next you're here in the Mesozoic, not even in your own body anymore. Naked, covered in spikes, scales, insects, walking on all fours.)

(It's a rough deal, I'll grant you that.)

(Well, if you're fighting the urge to just completely snap, I'm sure not detecting any signs. How are you able to keep such a grip like that?)

(Hmmm. I'm not exactly sure myself, to be honest,) Muldoon replied. (I suppose this mindset mostly has to do with my life as a guide in Africa, where you quickly discover that a lot of things are just beyond your control. So you accept and make do and keep on keeping on as best you can.)

(You're incredible, you know that?)

(I think you're holding up very well too. You're tougher than you give yourself credit for Henry.)

Wu's horsey head bobbed up and down in pleasure, liquid eyes half-closing. Robert could feel the pride radiating from him.

Suddenly, he felt Nedry's dinosaur body shift on his back. In the interest of safety, Muldoon laid down in the mud like a hippo, feeling the wet leaves and muck against his baggy belly scales as he waited for his passenger to become clear headed again after his swoon.

He felt and heard the claws jerkily scrape against his back armor, looking behind him without really turning his head as Nedry raised his own and rotated his upper torso, hazily murmuring, (Where-where am I? What happened to me?)

Then, before either he or Wu could produce a greeting or an answer, there was a sudden crackling sound that made them all jump, even the weakened, dazed Nedry. Muldoon raised his turtle/iguana head, expecting to see lightning streaking across the ceiling of clouds. But he detected nothing. No, wait a minute. There was a low, deep humming, and it was accompanied by a strange, encompassing sensation at the back of his skull, as if he'd been granted the ability to hear everything at once, in a wider range than any creature ever had.

(Am I the only one who he-) Wu began.

Before he could finish, a second, cosmos-filling crackling and the sense of some alien force digging a tunnel through reality rippled through the air all around them. It was spine-tingling. Terrifying!

A voice emanated from the crackling.

* * *

 **Henry**

Wu stood stock still with the others as the voice of a _teenage boy_ , of all things, boomed out through the swamp forest and into their very minds.

" **My name is Bertram Philipps,"** he intoned. **"I don't have much time to send this** _ **second**_ **message before I literally have to run, so listen closely, Robert, Henry, and Dennis."**

(He knows your name! _All_ of our names!) Muldoon hissed in astonishment as he glanced at Wu. (But how in bloody he-)

(I've completely stripped my gears,) Nedry said shakily. (Gone mad as a hat-)

(Quiet!) Wu snapped at them, desperately trying to pin down the Iguanodon's shrieking, wild urge to stampede (to say nothing of his own.) This Bertram boy-a boy as far as he knew, at least-was still talking, and he didn't dare want to be distracted.

" **This is a one way transmission, so don't waste your time protesting or trying to respond. Just carefully, because your lives may depend on it! The most important thing that you three need to understand about what's going on is that your time is not the only time. Your reality, your universe, is not the only reality out there."**

(Jesus Christ in a salt mine!) Muldoon gasped. (Other bloody realities! That simply can't be!)

Wu knew differently though. _The Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics,_ he thought in amazement, _or the many-worlds formulation._ And good God, had it been proven vividly true to him indeed!

" **What I'm about to say may sound preposterous, even insane, certainly confusing-but it's all true. So hear me out. I'm from one of those** _ **other**_ **universes, and eight months ago, I created an extraordinary machine I named the Memory Interpreter Device, or M.I.N.D. Machine for a huge science fair. It was supposed to simply be flashy, using biofeedback sensors linked to a computer base of images and film clips to randomly project appropriate choices onto exterior screens."**

(And then it totally went Medfield College on you, didn't it buddy?) Nedry ventured thinly.

" **I don't, and may _never_ understand how, but when I did my first demonstration of the M.I.N.D Machine, it somehow _transformed_ , became a device, a conduit capable of extracting the soul, the essence of a person from their body, and sending it elsewhere in time and space to inhabit the physical form of another. The best explanation I could give would be that of the concept of the monkeys and the typewriters."**

(I'll be damned,) Muldoon whispered in astonishment.

Henry Wu understood exactly what this Bertram Philipps meant by that, but couldn't waste time dwelling on it just now.

 **"It happened to me and three of my friends. Yes, we were all struck by the lightning too. Yes, we all found ourselves in the bodies of dinosaurs, like you. Yes, we managed to transport our human psyches back to our rightful time and bodies."**

The words made a wild, desperate hope explode within Wu. That meant…there was a way, a way out of this time and grotesque body! He could have his body back again, his lab, his career, his innovation, his successes and achievements!

(And how did you do that?!) Nedry shouted wildly. (Because I. Want. Out!)

Wu too, was equally eager to know the solution. He'd take any chance, he knew, even if it killed him. _What is it Bertram,_ he thought desperately, _tell us, we beg of you…_

" **Now, what this has to do with you three is that you guys belong to** _ **another**_ **universe,** _ **another**_ **timeline, where by rights you shouldn't have been affected…but for who knows what reason, my M.I.N.D. Machine took you anyway, like sea turtles captured in a shrimp trawl-and if you think _that's_ crazy already, believe me, you're going to find out that's not even the half of it!"** Bertram dryly laughed.

" **And now my reality is grossly** _ **changing**_ **, becoming so screwed up I can't begin to describe it. The events were set in motion in the past, when you are, and north of where you are. Something big happened there."**

(No bloody kidding,) Muldoon snorted.

" **If the M.I.N.D Machine is any indication, it'll happen in the prehistoric Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma, three days from now. I don't know exactly what it'll be. But I _can_ tell you that there are four other people from my school stranded there with you. Three of them are in Texas, just like you are. I'm going to use this machine to try to set up a sort of psychic tracking system, so you can all find each other and help each other."**

Even as this Bertram spoke, Wu felt something slither into his mind, and then begin to gently, on an instinctive level, suggest to him to go in a certain direction.

" **The last thing you need to know is that there's some type of key involved. An amber key, funnily enough. It has to be found and made use of if you three are going to get back where and when you belong."**

(For Christ's sake, it's like Lord of the Rings!) Muldoon proclaimed in half-shocked, half-amused excitement.

 **You all must figure the mystery out and change the past. If you can't or don't, your human bodies will remain in comas for the rest of your lives, and we'll all be toa-"**

And then, just like that, the voice and discharges were cut off. All three top-tier Jurassic Park employees stared at each other, then the place where the voice had come from. Despite his half-aware, groggy state, the feathers on Nedry's spine and neck were standing straight up.

 _Like a peccary's mane_ , Wu noted dimly.

They waited for more from the awesome, mysterious speaker, any hint of speech, even just one more word. A sense of eerieness was infusing their bodies, Wu's muscles tense as bowstrings.

The silence deepened.

(I suppose that's it,) Muldoon said reflectively, a quiver in his voice. (Jesus Christ.)

Just in case however, they all waited in anticipation for a little bit longer.

The silence became terrible, and Wu surmised that this Bertram Phillips, who had just spoken across eons and realities to them like the voice of God, had said his piece. Or at least, enough of it.

(Well, _that_ was bloody surreal, wasn't it?) Muldoon said pointedly, cocking his head to meet Wu's glance. (Never thought I'd have the man upstairs speak to me _quite_ like that, and in these circumstances. I wish I had a glass of malt whiskey right now,) he said, muscles shaking.

(Comas.) Wu was stunned, and spoke the word in an uncharacteristic tone of dull horror, feeling his great frame also begin to quake. (Our minds spend the rest of their days in these bodies until they die, and our actual bodies lie in hospital beds in some ICU unit for the rest of our lives!)

(It's not fair!) he abruptly squealed, breaking down as he reared up on the Iguanodon's gray hind feet and gave a rumbling groan from its lungs…now _his_ lungs too. (This-not _this_! Not when the park is just a year away from opening, not when I'm _that_ close to finally being able to publish my achievements after five _years_ of hard work, share the world-changing secrets and knowledge of how I cloned _living dinosaurs_ with the international scientific community and the global press!) he shouted frantically. (Not when I'm that close to seeing the entire world witness and revel in the fruits of all that innovation and labor!)

(And my parents!) Wu continued frantically, numb terror washing over his soul. (My brother and my two sisters! They'll be absolutely _devastated_ , have to take on a massive financial burden, worry and grieve themselves sick while they wait and wait and wait some more for any improvement in my condition, hold out a false hope for a miracle that is never going to come, all because my consciousness is trapped in the body of a gigantic lizard in the goddamn Early Cretaceous of Texas-)

(Gigantic lizard?!) Nedry snapped, chattering his jaws in agitation. (At least _you're_ not some weak, overgrown prehistoric turkey with a second grader's paint job! And you're not the only one who's had some huge dreams and accomplishments denied from them eith-)

(Both of you, get a grip!) Muldoon yelled in their heads, causing his companions to jerk back to attention from their hysterics. (All the horrors and losses you two are tying ourselves into knots over will only take place if we don't solve this mystery and get to our destination. And we will,) he declared firmly. (Because we have a chance now, some straws to grasp. Let that give you hope and courage.)

Muldoon sounded awfully confident and optimistic. Wu wanted desperately to be able to believe him, that it wasn't just a fool's hope.

Then Muldoon looked away, and hung his scaly head, the rain streaming off of it almost making it seem like he was weeping.

(Of course, if we somehow don't…) Now he shuddered. (My own parents-my father will be ok. He'll just keep on going, living his life as a hunting guide in Zimbabwe and Botswana, fit as a fiddle and keeping his head down like an old buffalo bull. But my mother-that'll be a wrench for her. And my sisters. My wife and twin children. It won't be nice for any of them at all. In fact, to be perfectly blunt, my mother will most likely die of grief in good time,) he quavered. (She probably already has. I mean, this has already come to pass, right? We'v-)

(For the love of Christ, stop it!) Wu pleaded, terrified and starting to panic again. (Please don't do that to us!)

Muldoon raised his head questioningly and shook it. (Sorry about that. Guess even a great white hunter can get overwhelmed.)

Nedry apparently felt better enough to stand up, rotating his hips experimentally underneath him, then shifting his weight backward before he shakily stood on the game warden's armored back.

(Let's just get out of here and meet up with the rest of this prehistoric Fellowship,) he snapped as he snorted and shook himself, rainwater flying from his plumage. (I don't want to think about this crap, and I don't want to talk about it anymore than we have to. We got the information we need from Young Frankenstein/computer nerd from the future,) he went on as he gestured with his head to the sky, (and now it's our move.)

(Point well taken,) Wu concurred as he turned due north, where the mysterious pull in his brain was gently urging him to go. (We've got a long journey in front of us if we're going to reach these Arbuckle Mountains in time, so let's get moving along,) he declared.

And he did just that, starting their journey of who-knew-how-many miles with that first step of a mitten like hand, weight supported on its hooved tips instead of the palms.

(I'm still not feeling all that up to snuff,) he "heard" Nedry confess behind him to the game ranger, (so is it okay if I remain seated for a while until I do?)

(It's no trouble at all,) Muldoon assured him as he fell into line behind Wu.

(So,) Muldoon asked the geneticist, (that Bertram kid who spoke to us from the future and another universe-)

(Bertram,) Nedry laughed in disbelief. (I was honestly expecting a moniker more like oh, I don't know, Slaga-thor or Zarktron.)

(What did he mean by the concept of the monkeys and the typewriters?)

(It comes from statistics,) Wu replied. (Essentially, it predicts that if you had a massive number of monkeys, equipped with a massive number of typewriters-computers now, I suppose-the primates would eventually produce every single line of great English prose by sheer dumb chance.)

(What happened to us today is at least fifty times more unlikely than all those blasted monkeys writing every sodding one of Shakespeare's plays,) Muldoon grunted, causing both Wu and Nedry to laugh.

(Ain't that the truth!) Nedry chirped, feathers fluffed against the rain.

(Now, what this has to do with the M.I.N.D. machine and us,) Wu went on after he'd stopped laughing, (is that both the machine's bizarre new ability to well-move a human consciousness through time and the multiverse, was a random, incredible fluke, with all the odds being perhaps a trillion to one that such a thing could occur. But despite those odds, despite the ridiculous impossibility of it all, it still happened anyway. Somehow.)

(I have to admit, despite the position it's put us in,) Nedry said, (as a computer geek I'd absolutely _love_ to have a look at the mechanics and algorithms in this M.I.N.D. machine thing, see what made a straight out of science-fiction device like that tick.)

(And while I couldn't even begin to imagine what the odds are that it would malfunction in such a way as to do this freaky stuff that it did-yeah, I agree that they'd make the possibility of you actually being able to get your hands on viable dinosaur DNA practically look like a certainty,) he agreed, swiveling his scarlet head to focus on Wu.

(I wonder what the amber key he talked about has to do with all this…and even more importantly, where the devil we're going to find it?) Muldoon mused.

(I don't exactly think we're going to have to go toss it into the fires of Mount Doom, I know that much,) Wu joked.

(God, I love that book trilogy so much,) Nedry sighed nostalgically. (Aragorn was just beyond cool. And Eowyn took no crap from anyone. So was Gandalf, especially when he became Gandalf the White.)

(I liked Legolas the best,) Wu said, inwardly smiling. (Sam was a great character as well. Anyway, if we want to find this amber key, our best chance would be to explore any stream beds we come across, the bottoms of cliff faces, river gorges, any other places where amber might have been exposed or weathered out.)

(And it may not necessarily resemble a key at all,) he added by way of caution. (It may have a strange color, an insect trapped inside, or some other special feature. As for how we're actually supposed to make use of it once we get there…all I can come up is that amber can be used to generate sparks through static electricity. Whether that means anything, I can't say.)

(Well, if any of us knows their way around a piece of amber literally inside and out, it would be you,) Muldoon commented. (And what in blazes was Bertram talking about with multiple damned universes and realities? That simply just can't be,) he growled skeptically.

(Actually, we have ample proof that such a system of parallel universes is at least theoretically possible,) Wu replied. (It was first proposed by physicist Hugh Everett in 1957, who called it the Correlation Interpretation, or Relative State Formulation. Later, it was renamed the Many-worlds hypothesis by Bryce DeWitt. Essentially, it's an interpretation of quantum mechanics that asserts the objective reality of the quantum state of the totality of all existence, and denies the actuality of observed wave function collapse.)

(You've totally lost me there chap,) was Muldoon's deadpan response. (Do you have any idea what he's talking on about, Mr. Nedry?)

(Actually, yeah, I do,) Nedry replied. (First of all, have you ever read The Garden Of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges?)

(Yes, years ago. I don't remember all that much about it though.)

Wu had read it as well. He'd liked the fact that the main character had been Chinese like him-although unfortunately, also the tale's villain-and the extraordinary way Borges had used the titular in-world book to almost presciently illustrate the true, branching nature of reality.

(But you remember the basic message of what it says about reality, right?) Wu asked.

(Yes, that it's not a single, straight path.)

(That's essentially what the Many-worlds hypothesis postulates from quantum data,) Nedry said. (Every event that takes place is a branch point in reality, with all different outcomes splitting off into different worlds, both of which are equally real and valid as we perceive and understand them...but they don't interact or communicate with each other.)

(In light of this bloody crazy thing that's happened to us, it's obviously been made quite true-) Muldoon said reflectively, (but how was this figured out? What proof did this Everett chap have to make such a claim?)

(First of all,) Wu said, warming to his role as educator, (the main conclusion is that this multiverse is composed of a huge amount-perhaps even infinite-of increasingly different, totally separate parallel universes or quantum worlds. As for how he got to that conclusion, you first need to know about an experiment that is more or less the foundation of understanding and testing quantum physics, called the double-slit experiment.)

(Traditionally,) Wu continued, (the prevailing scientific wisdom about light and other forms of radiation was that it behaves like a wave, with peaks and valleys. But that's actually only half the story. Now, the double-slit experiment has a constant light source shining on a plate with two parallel slits, and the light that passes through them is observed on a very fine mesh as a background.)

(Okay.)

(Now, if you assume that light behaves in a wave, you could theoretically work out where the particles are most likely to be observed by sensitive equipment, appearing spread out like wavelengths should,) Wu went on.

(But that's not the case at all,) Nedry said knowingly. (It appears as particles instead.)

(Right,) Wu said, moving his head slightly to look back at the programmer-turned-troodontid with his incredible panoramic vision. (There were some scientists who tried to explain this baffling paradox with the theory that we were seeing a complex quantum system, composed of several unique states, seeming to suddenly reduce itself to just a single isolated system or state from our viewpoint. But this explanation was widely regarded as dicey, cobbled together in haste without much evidence, so a different, facts-based explanation was needed. Everett came along then, and proposed that-)

Suddenly, Muldoon came to a stop.

(Hush for a moment,) he commanded, raising his head and sniffing the air. (Something's coming up behind us.)

(Behind us?) Nedry said nervously, standing up again and turning to face over Muldoon's spiked tail.

Wu decided to follow the ranger's example and did the same, making a quarter-turn to the right.

He smelt the faint odor of rotten meat, of hawk mews, of wet feathers and crocodile dung and turkey barns.

He heard something small, light in weight, trotting on two legs through the forest towards them.

(You hear that too?) Muldoon asked.

(Yeah,) Wu replied. (Can't be a raptor, since whatever it is is too small and this Iguanodon's instincts aren't concerned by the scent.)

Now Nedry was experimentally inhaling the hot, humid air himself.

(Whatever's coming this way, it's about my size, and smells like…like me!)

And indeed, right then, in the cautious, furtive manner of a fox, another feathered troodontid, a little smaller than Nedry's new body appeared from the ferns and cycads about eighty feet behind them, on the left side of the path.

This new one was female. Wu knew because the Iguanodon could smell it. Besides, its head, rather than being the bright scarlet of Nedry's, was black in color, with ivory streaks. If that didn't mean sexual dimorphism, Wu didn't know what did.

The female carefully trotted closer, apparently rather surprised and uncertain to see a male of her kind riding the back of an ankylosaurid, chattering her teeth and flicking her tail in agitation.

(What do you want?) Nedry questioned her in irritation from his perch. (If you think you're going to play some Mesozoic version of The Dating Game with me, you can save your breath and buzz off.)

His silent words made the female troodontid leap in surprise at the weird voice in her skull and backpedal, watery mud splashing onto her scaly lower legs as her tail lashed to both keep balance and out of fear.

But instead of heading for the tall timber, she gave a grating cry of confusion, like a giant's fingernail being run along a vast comb. Then, screwing up her courage, she timidly trotted forward once more, stopping sixty feet away and uttering a gentle, warbling sound. Her dark brown eyes focused on Nedry, and Wu noticed to his dawning amazement that they seemed filled with a fearful concern for him. And affection.

* * *

 **Nedry**

It was bad enough, horrible already that he was trapped in the past, in the body of a prehistoric turkey. Now Dennis Nedry had a sinking feeling that things were about to go from bad to worse as this new dinosaur delicately trod closer, eyes fixed on him with gentle interest.

(Looks like you have a lady friend Dennis,) Muldoon teasingly laughed. (Want to go say hello, chat her up?)

(No way,) Nedry growled, turning and craning his neck downward to give Muldoon a baleful stare into his right eye. (I'd rather chat up a female gorilla. And this isn't funny one bit!)

(I think it's hilarious,) Wu supplied as he snorted in amusement.

He heard the dinosaur come closer. Rounding, he glared at her with his hawk eyes, stopping her in her tracks as he snapped, (Whatever you want from me, I'm not interested!)

As Muldoon and Wu laughed again at his predicament, Nedry stared down his "admirer." His sense of smell and dino-instincts informed him that yes, this was a female. She wasn't displaying any aggression, and indeed, was keeping a respectful distance from Nedry and his mount, evidently concerned for his safety on top of such a fearsome looking beast.

(I think she likes Mr. Nedry,) Wu joked to Muldoon, causing the programmer to shoot him a dirty look.

(Get outta here!) he shouted at her as Muldoon began to walk again, flinging out his feathered arms in her direction. (Scram! Shoo! Make like a banana and frigging split!)

But the feathered dinosaur didn't go away, hopefully trailing close behind.

Nedry inhaled in frustration, intending to shriek at her, scare her away. As he did, he got a good dose of her scent, now coming toward them on the humid breeze.

As he did, something was touched off strongly in his other, subsumed mind. It was a connection, a warm recognition of delight.

And then Nedry, to his profound dismay, understood why this particular prehistoric turkey was following him. This body belonged to _her mate_.

(No,) Nedry bleated unhappily, shutting his eyes and leaning forward to place his hideous clawed hands on his ride's armor. (No, for Christ's sake, don't fucking do this to me, please…)

But it was undeniable, plain as the scent that still filled his nostrils. It was if cruel fate was putting icing on the shit-flavored cake, knocking on his door and giving him the news personally.

 _Morning Dennis! Guess what? This is your inner dinosaur stopping by with an announcement! Not only are you trapped in the past as a prehistoric turkey, forced to live as a wild animal when you were just hours away from carrying out a flawless theft of priceless dinosaur embryos for BioSyn and making a zillion dollars-to say nothing of giving John "The Cheap Fucking Unreasonable Bastard" Hammond the shaft nice and good-but one of these same dinosaurs here is basically your new wife!_

( _Why me?!_ ) he cried unhappily to the sky, shifting back onto his pelvis. (Why?! Aren't things going bad enough for me already?!)

 _Sorry buddy. You're her Ozzie, and she's your dino body's Harriet! You'll just have to put up with her attentions whether you want to or not. Have a nice time together!_ The gleeful little demon in his mind rolled and laughed.

His mind raced desperately on ways to be rid of her. Turning to face the leader of their little caravan, he said imploringly, (Dr. Wu. Henry. I _don't_ want to be stalked by a lustful turkey. Could you please do something like I don't know, go stomp her into a pulp so I can have some peace?!)

Even though it was anatomically impossible, Nedry swore he saw Wu smile anyhow. There was definitely an amused twinkle in his eye.

(Wouldn't work,) Wu replied. (She's way too fast and agile for me to run down, unless I was able to surprise her at close range-and she's not the type to let a big animal get that close to her. Just look at how alert she is. Besides, this development is far too entertaining,) he chuckled.

(Yeah, let's all laugh at my discomfort and embarrassment,) Nedry huffed sardonically. (I bet you wouldn't find it so funny if you were in my position. But whatever, I'll deal with this nasty prehistoric turkey stalker and run her out of town myself,) he hissed, tensing his legs and leaping to the ground from Muldoon. He was not going to accept this sick twist of fate. It was gross and degrading enough having a _dog_ treat you as a lust object-never mind a feathered lizard!

With a sliding screech of threat and anger, placing one clawed foot in front of the other, Nedry darted at the female troodontid, jaws agape. Maybe a nice bite in the side would dampen her ardor for him a bit!

Seeing him charging at her, Harriet-for that was now how the programmer regarded her-gave a shocked sort of yelp and did an about-face, racing off the right side of the trail into the underbrush. Diving through a clump of palmettos and hurdling a great log, Nedry followed in determination. She was making tracks, but he still felt a good bite to the tail would make the message loud and clear. Assuming of course, Harriet didn't prove to be the dinosaur version of one of those pathetic, spineless battered women who stayed with their abusive husbands out of misguided loyalty or because they felt "they could make the relationship work."

As he pursued her, the gap closing-this body was so amazingly quick on its feet!-Nedry was suddenly stopped short by the sound of screaming in his head. Screams of terror.

Dr. Wu and Muldoon! Were they in serious trouble?! Although Nedry didn't know either of the men very well-and indeed, had intended to steal from Dr. Wu's embryo vault-simple human concern and compassion made him turn and head back at an even faster run.

He knew academically that their own dinosaur bodies could give any carnivore a pretty decent run for their money, Muldoon's spiky host in particular. And then there was their human intelligence in addition to the dinosaur's talents.

 _Still, if a pack of raptors or some other savage predator is attacking them, they could probably use the extra help_ , Nedry thought. Not that he was really sure just what he was going to do about that situation in this body though, other than maybe distract the attacker. Well, he'd think of something.

(Nedry, come on!) he heard Muldoon shout. He didn't sound frightened or stressed, just authoritative.

Now his sensitive dinosaur ears, able to hear the footfalls of a cockroach moving across the forest floor, easily heard the thudding and splashing as both of them broke into a run. He didn't hear the footfalls of anything chasing Wu or Robert though.

(Mr. Nedry, one of the other four people that got sent back is close by!) Wu announced. And indeed, it was then that Dennis realized that the screams were coming from somewhere much further away, and in a different, younger voice.

(I'm coming over to join you guys,) Nedry replied as he shifted his route to the left and ran through the forest at an angle that would intercept his companions. To his annoyance, he heard Harriet's feet squelching perhaps seventy feet behind. (Don't wait up!)

* * *

 **Wu**

The dense forest opened up into a sort of lush, wet scrub as Wu ran on his stocky, three-toed hind feet, spiked digits held erect in a permanent, comical two-thumbs-up posture as he barreled in the direction of the distant screams. Behind him ran Muldoon, in the plodding, yet deceptively quick run of a charging hippo. In front of him-but not too far in front-ran Nedry, his gait a mincing, light, ballet dancer-like step. Off to the left and behind Wu was the female troodontid, gamely and loyally following her mate wherever he might go.

Every single second they were here and in these bodies was a revelation, Wu marveled, a diamond mine of information that paleontologists like Grant and Sattler would sell their souls for.

Already, he was considering ways to use this priceless first-hand information to do a better job of reconstructing the dinosaurs in the lab, hold up as a template to compare instincts, social organization, the proper natural behavior of the cloned animals against. And of course, to alter if need be for the park's needs.

First though, they needed to connect with the rest of this Fellowship of The Amber Key, and then get back.

The screams came louder now, as if their producer was in terrible fear and agony. Was he or she being attacked by a predator? Would they have to get into a fight? Wu hoped to God not, nervously glancing down at his thumb spikes. Nasty looking weapons, yes, with powerful shoulders and arms to back them up...but this body also had to get up close and personal with a predator to use them effectively. And the predator would naturally do everything in its power to sidestep them-then lunge forward and bite his head or neck.

(No!) a teenage boy's voice yelled desperately.

(Oh Jesus, I hope we're not too late to get him out of it,) Muldoon prayed.

Then there was a sudden, explosive sound, deafening and sky-splitting even at this distance.

CCRRAACCKK!

It brought all three of them skidding to a stop, Nedry actually falling onto his side in the dirt. At first, Wu thought that lightning had struck nearby. But there was no flash of light, no crash of thunder.

(What in blazes was that!) Muldoon cried.

(Holy shit, that was loud!) Nedry yelped, feather hackles standing erect.

Wu had no idea.

He'd only just managed to stop the shaking, the rain pelting down on his head and back, when-

CCRRAACCKK!

They all spooked again.

(Jesus, what's making that sound?!) Nedry quaveringly asked as his slim triangular head darted about, wild-eyed.

But even as he flicked his eyes about in agitation, a detached part of both Wu's mind and the Iguanodon's found the answer.

(A sauropod,) he said. (One of the other four people is in the body of some type of sauropod, using whips of their tail to try to ward off a predator,) he said, starting to run again with a new urgency.

(Of course!) Muldoon in self-chiding realization. (I should've recognized it as a sauropod tail crack. The apatosaurs do it now and again to sort things out among themselves, and oh brother, does it get your attention when they do!)

Another thunderous whip crack, louder now that they were getting closer.

As they got nearer, Wu felt an uncertainty from the Iguanodon's instincts, a nervous tension. It wasn't scared of the long-necked plant eaters, not in the least. Nor did their tail-sounds scare it all that much either.

What _was_ scary about them though, was the understanding that the long-necks tended to only make the loud tail-sounds when they were under attack by predators. And predators capable of killing a long-neck dinosaur would likely be equally capable of killing even a healthy Iguanodon bull.

Point well taken.

Now all three of them were approaching a tall rise. Suddenly, as they drew closer, Wu detected a strong, putrid odor drifting over the lip from the other side, one that galvanized his Iguanodon body and set it on edge.

It smelt of rotting meat, old shortening, crocodiles, a monitor lizard's cage, and just plain malice all at once.

 _Ridge-back_! his dino brain screamed at him. Right on the other side of the rise!

(You smell what I'm smelling?) Muldoon said gravely. (Smells like a rex…)

(Or something closely related to it.) Wu amended, weaving apprehensively in place. (We're in the early portion of the Cretaceous, after all, not the last few million years.)

(I know this might seem totally insane,) Nedry interjected, (but while your dinosaur bodies look like they've just seen a ghost, mine is actually _excited_ by this smell, and wants to go much closer. It wants to see if there's a kill it can scavenge.)

(And don't look now,) he continued, turning and gesturing up and to their right with his head, (but I think Harriet's already going over to have a look.)

(Harriet?) Wu said in puzzlement.

(The name I've given to my stalker,) Nedry grumbled. (After the 50's TV show. Anyway, I guess we might as well follow her lead.)

(I see.)

(Stay close together though everyone,) Muldoon warned as Wu took a deep breath and began to make his way up the slope. (Just because this dino is presumably occupied with a sauropod doesn't mean it might not decide one of us will do just as nicely when we show up,) giving the geneticist a pointed look.

(No!) came the desperate voice again, causing them to pick up their pace.

Another, world-splitting tail crack.

Then, to Wu's utter surprise and bafflement, an excited, approving, oddly academic voice as he climbed.

(The tail, yes, good! The bones in the end of your tail are only six inches long. That's what gives you the incredible range and variety of motion. Used like a whip, your tail can travel at more than seven hundred miles an hour! Hit the Acrocanthosaurus with it!) the voice urged.

(Yeah, don't bother actually bloody **_helping_** the poor sod,) Muldoon muttered indignantly.

(Ah, an Acrocanthosaurus,) Nedry said in mock primness. (Because you know, I'm so familiar with that type of dinosaur.)

(Looks like we've found at least two of our traveli-)

Another voice, that of a grumpy teenage girl.

(Let me handle this.) A terrifying, air-shaking roar. ( _Back off, loser_!) her voice bellowed.

 _That's the third,_ Wu thought.

They were nearly at the top of the hill now. Nedry, confident in his troodontid body's speed and agility, was in the lead, Harriet not far away as he crested the summit.

Suddenly, Wu saw him stop in his tracks.

(What in fucking hell?!) he muttered in disbelief, peering intently down the slope. (A blanket?)

Puzzled, Wu reached the top then as well with Muldoon, tilting his head slightly to get a good view…and blinked in shock at the unreal, fantastic sight.

(My God.)

Half a mile downslope of them were three dinosaurs of various shapes and sizes. One was a massive theropod, thirty-two feet long and brick red in color with a high, bright yellow ridge of muscle running down its back, body adorned with thin squiggles of blue and daubs of green. A second individual was trotting away from where they were standing, covered in especially large patches of emerald green, the nape of its neck gold. The sight and scent of both ridge-backs chilled his Iguanodon instincts to the bone.

Dwarfed by the acrocanthosaur, and standing next to it with an odd unconcern was a Hypsilophodon, six feet from nose to tail tip. Wu was amazed and awestruck to see that its graceful body too, was covered in short, sleek dense feathers, almost like fur and lime green in color with neon pink accents and a straw yellow belly. Along its spine ran a short, navy blue crest, almost like a zebra's. It was a surreal thing to see on a bird-hipped dinosaur, totally unexpected, and once more Wu mentally kicked himself for thinking that the feather coats on the lab's first hypsys were a mistake in the cloning. But he hadn't known any better.

Most surreal of all though, to the point of making Wu begin to wonder again if this was all just a wild dream, perhaps caused by an attack of malaria, was the fifteen and a half ton sauropod before them.

Resembling a relatively smaller version of Brachiosaurus, the sauropod was the color of gray granite, with black stippling and great chocolate brown patches that reminded Wu of a Burmese python. Its tail and neck were thickly banded with bronze, coal black, and maroon red.

Blood trickled down its right side from a great bite wound in front of its hip, mingling with and forming gruesome red streaks in the falling rain. Obviously the work of the other acrocanthosaur which had been attacking him before being driven off.

Draped over its neck and back was a pale green flannel blanket, impossibly enough, adding just that extra touch of bizarreness to an already ridiculous situation. It was like something from The Muppet Show!

(Do you have a name?) the ridge-back questioned the sauropod.

(It's-it's me,) Zane replied. (Crazy Zane!)

The great meat-eater gave a dismissive glance down at the hypsy. (He'll slow us down, and he's useless in a fi-)

Suddenly, she lifted her head and glanced up at them with penetrating golden eyes as they all moved closer.

(Hello,) Muldoon said politely.

Wu too, nodded his great head by way of greeting.

(How's it hanging folks?) Nedry toothily grinned.

(Well, looks like we've got more company,) she commented dryly. (Although I don't remember seeing anyone else get zapped by the lightning. Mr. London, did you?) she asked, turning again to glance down at the little plant-eater.

(Nnoooo, not to my recollection,) the hypsy replied, studying them with its wine red eagle eyes as it racked its brain.

(Anyway,) the acrocanth curtly grumbled-sighed as she turned to face them again, (who are you turkeys and what are you doing here?)

Although like all of them, he was taken aback by her gruff reception, Nedry actually laughed before saying, (I guess the term turkey is pretty fitting for me this time, isn't it? Anyway, I'm Dennis Nedry.)

(And I'm Dr. Henry Wu.)

(I'm Robert Muldoon,) Muldoon cordially told them. (A pleasure to meet you.) In a comical touch, he actually raised his front foot, apparently intending to shake hands, before coming to his senses and putting it down, looking sheepish. Well, as sheepish as an armored dinosaur could look.

All three of the other dinosaurs stopped then, regarding them with astonished eyes. They all had a distinct deer in the headlights look on their faces. Wu had no idea why their names had generated such a reaction, and without needing to turn his head, looked out of his left eye into Muldoon's beady right one.

(No way,) the sauropod droned in disbelief. (We can't be having _this_ extra portion of crazy being heaped on top of us. No way, no how.)

(This has to be a sickly twisted coincidence with the names,) the acrocanth snorted in denial. (It's the only way this could be possible.)

(That what's possible?) Nedry said in confusion.

(Say-say your names again,) the extraordinary feathered hypsy asked them, blinking, its head voice containing both amazement and a strange glee. (Your full names.)

(Once more for the record, I'm Dennis Nedry.)

(Nedry,) the acrocanth suddenly muttered darkly, giving the programmer an accusing glare. It made Wu frown inwardly. Why was she giving him that look? Did he have some sort of troubled past with her?

(Dr. Henry Wu.)

(Robert Muldoon.)

The mouths of both the acro and the sauropod-Zane, Henry remembered hearing-fell open, Wu's Iguanodon body cringing back at the sight of the savage teeth.

(Now I _know_ we're not in Kansas anymore!) he exclaimed, goggling down at them with purple-brown eyes, head swiveling back and forth on its giraffe neck.

(And things just got even more insane,) the acro said dryly, with a sense of unreality. (Andre Norton can officially shove it.)

( _Oh goodness me!_ ) the hypsy shouted in stunned delight, leaping up into the air. (I-I-I don't know how it happened,) he stammered, (and this will be as much of a bombshell for the three of you to hear as it is for us to experience firsthand, but you _must_ be three of the characters from one of my favorite books. In our own, native reality,) he added.

(Not to mention a freaking _awesome_ movie based on it,) the ridge-back chimed in. (But oh my God, the raptors totally scared the _daylights_ out of me when I first saw it!)

For a moment Wu and his co-workers were totally stunned. They stared. Characters in a book?! And a movie.

 _What were they talking about?_

(So we're characters in a book to you,) Nedry said sagely. (Rrriiggghhhtttt. Okay. I don't know which fruit truck you fell out of pal, but last time I checked, we're real as the concept of gravity.)

(What bloody nonsense,) Muldoon snorted patronizingly. (And it turns out that we're actually all gay and can fly to Jupiter by holding our noses,) he sneered, causing even Wu to chuckle. (Come on, talk sense and be reasonable you three.)

Regaining his customary composure, Wu simply asked their new companions in a reserved tone, (That's rather hard to believe. I'd also like to know, do any of you suffer from schizophrenia or delusions?)

(I know Zane does,) the acrocanth sneered as she jerked her massive head at the sauropod.

(Hey! I only suffer from delusions of fame!)

(But I know I damn sure don't. Besides, it's a bestseller. And the movie was the highest grossing ever until that lame pretty-boy chick flick Titanic came along.)

(What is this 'book' called?) Wu skeptically inquired.

(Jurassic Park,) Zane said simply. (By a guy named Michael Crichton.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Patience**

Patience honestly didn't have a clue what to think as she regarded the other three dinosaurs just twenty feet in front of them that had appeared over the rise, looking at her and the others like they were utterly insane.

Insane. Yeah, that was pretty much the middle name of this entire messed-up situation. Unlike with Bertram's "tales," nothing had even remotely mentally prepared her for _this_ , and a skeptical portion of her still clung to the idea that this was all just entirely a freakish coincidence with the names of these guys.

But she'd seen Jurassic Park at least a dozen times, and read both the school library's copy of the actual novel, and the one belonging to Stan Mushnick, her foster dad. Their mannerisms and speech matched exactly.

Wu raised his bronze horse head and gasped, then blinked.

(Michael Crichton?! You mean the same man who wrote _Sphere_ and _The Andromeda Strain_?)

(And Congo?) a dumbfounded Muldoon added. (Quite a yarn, that, with the evil gray gorillas, the lost city of Zinj, the blue diamonds...)

(Wait a minute-) Patience began, utterly shocked as she took a step back, daggered cavern of a mouth falling open.

(You mean there's a Michael Crichton in your own "timeline" too?) Zane shouted, air droning through his nasal chambers.

(Yyyeeeessss,) Nedry replied slowly, giving them a look like they were all mad. (I own at least three of his books dude.)

(But he wrote a book about _us_ too, in your timeline?) Wu inquired.

(Extraordinary,) Mr. London breathed out in wonder. (True proof that the Many-Worlds hypothesis is real! Two _virtually identical_ versions of the same author in separate universes!)

(We-the three of us,) Wu replied, (were actually discussing that earlier. And yes, extraordinary doesn't begin to cover it.)

(I could be wrong, but my first instinct says that this book sounds almost like an expose,) Muldoon ventured.

(But how could he possibly know about what we're doing on the island?) Wu replied in disbelief and mild suspicion, addressing no one in particular. (Far less the name John thought up for it.)

Nedry snorted scornfully. (Pfft,) he muttered. (John couldn't think his way out of a cardboard box.) Ah yes, she remembered this "character" very well indeed. Dennis Nedry. Nedry the repulsive traitor, the fat slob, the destroyer of a magical, grand dream and achievement.

(Not respectful Dennis,) Muldoon chided, glaring at the troodont.

(Don't care Rob. And when it comes to respect, I tend to _**give**_ the amount that I _**get**_.) He must've sensed Patience's hostile, disgusted glare, for he then turned his attention back to her, stretching out his neck to peer up at her. (Uh, why are you looking at me like I'm some criminal missy? Cut it out!)

(That's because-) she began icily. She was suddenly cut short by Mr. London nipping the skin on her shin with his beak to draw her attention.

(Don't spill the beans to them just yet,) he urged her in a 'whisper.' (These poor souls have more than enough on their plates already for their minds to cope with, without us adding such terrible knowledge to the mix. Tell them a bit later, when the time is right and they're in a more mentally relaxed state. You hear me?)

He had a pretty decent argument there. Lord knew this was already a lot for her to take.

(Nothing,) Patience lied, diverting her gaze to the path the other ridge-back had taken. (I'm just in a foul mood myself about this whole dimensional trip into the past.) And it was partly true.

(Can't say I blame you,) Nedry muttered as Mr. London shot Zane a similar "Keep your lips zipped," look, and shaking his head almost imperceptibly to get the point across. (I can think of a whole lot of other ways I'd rather be spending my precious time.)

 _Yeah, like swiping embryos for BioSyn._

(But how was he aware of our activities?) Wu insisted. (Or at least found out enough, despite the intense atmosphere of secrecy, to write a book about it?)

(Hey, don't look at me,) Nedry said, raising his clawed hands in the air. (John certainly never told me or my guys a single flat-out thing about the project being some extinct lizard amusement park.)

(One of the Tican workmen must've let it slip somewhere along the way,) Muldoon surmised. (Perhaps it's for the best I guess, although it still means that now the cat's out of the bag a ye-)

(All guesses marked as wrong!) Zane interjected. (Jurassic Park isn't some sort of tell-all book, if that's what you're thinking. It's a novel, a sci-fi thriller that in our world, Crichton came up with all on his own.)

(In other words, your characters, the park, the island, the dinosaurs, everything…it's all the product of his own imagination and scientific research. To us and everyone else in our world, you only exist in a fictional franchise that he created. Until now,) she amended.

The trio stared at her for a long moment, expressions dumbfounded as their minds visibly wrestled with such an alien concept. Wu especially, looked like his brain was imploding on him.

Nedry then started cackling in sheer laughter, in what Patience at first thought was literal hysterics.

(Boarding crazy train in 1, 2…) Zane mumbled.

(Oh, this is too much!) he exclaimed. (So, I'm **_famous_** in your other world, a star in a novel- _and a movie too_!-in an entirely different universe! And you are too, Robert, Henry! And until now, we didn't even know it! I feel like I've just been plunked into the land of Oz!) he chuckled, shaking his head, chicken fashion. (Talk about flattering!)

(You mean…) Wu began, struggling, (that in your timeline, one where we don't actually exist, Michael still spontaneously _dreamt us up_ and Isla Nublar, the cloning operation, the dinosaurs, by himself?)

(That's exactly it,) Mr. London replied in excitement. (I know that it seems too impossible, too nonsensical to believe, but it's true.)

(So we're technically _not real_ to you, then?) Muldoon chuckled. (Little wonder you reacted the way you did then. If we're in a movie to boot, I hope the actor cast for me did a good job of it.)

(Well, we may not be real to you three as yet, but we soon enough will be,) Wu replied good-humoredly, and a bit giddy. (I must admit to feeling rather flattered as well about being in a popular novel and resulting movie myself,) he added. (But how could that Michael Crichton have devised and written a book that as far as I can tell, meshes so perfectly with the reality we inhabit, right down to the names and personalities of our characters?)

(God knows,) Patience grumbled. (Maybe it was all just an astonishing fluke, a coincidence.)

(Again, like the monkeys and the typewriters,) Nedry said as he nodded. (Makes at least some degree of sense to me.)

But Mr. London was a lot more thoughtful, gazing off into the distance as he absentmindedly scratched his nape with a five-fingered hand.

(Perhaps it's more than that,) he meditatively put forth. (I don't intend to seem esoteric or mystical here about this particular claim I'm going to make, but…do we-does anyone-truly know where inspiration, the glory and excitement of a brilliant idea comes from? Does it always sprout in our minds, the frontal cortex of our brains?)

(Or perhaps, just sometimes, does it come from what could be called a sort of muse after all? An intangible, psychic ripple that can spread out from a great event in one universe...and cross the impenetrable boundaries of others to touch the mind of an intelligent being in another?)

Nedry's response was to raise one of his clawed hands, put it up to his head, and rotate an extended claw-tipped middle finger to indicate crazy talk.

Wu though, blinked, then turned his head to Muldoon, cocking it slightly.

(When I first came across you here, you told me that we needed to be prepared to think outside the box, and take the fantastic into account.)

(Yes, I certainly did.)

(And now it looks like we've been proven right about that a hundred times over,) he said dryly. (This is all as fantastic as a situation gets.)

(Yeah, and now it's time for all of us to buckle down and _deal_ with said crazy-ass situation,) Patience growled as she began to lose the quality she was named after. (We're doing too much _talking_ right now when we should already be _walking_.)

(Yes,) Muldoon agreed. (We need to get going. But I still have two final questions for all of us. First, if Henry, Dennis and I are all characters in a thriller novel in your timeline, how exactly did we come to be sent here?)

(I can answer that,) Mr. London replied without hesitation, even as he shrunk a little. (You see, I was responsible for turning the M.I.N.D. Machine on for a second time-even though I also knew that I was sticking my nose where it didn't belong,) he sighed in remorse and shame. (To make a long story short, I had a copy of Jurassic Park with me at the time, and one of the discharges from the machine-whether by accident or design-struck that book. And somehow, it went into your universe and timeline, where it "chose" you three to come along for the ride, so to speak.)

(I'm almost not sorry it did now,) Wu said as his gaze swept the landscape around them. (Already, I have discovered more accurate information about the real habits and appearance and behavior of dinosaurs in these last two hours then I could've learnt from a thousand paleontologists. Feathers,) he said again in wonder as he looked at Mr. London, then Nedry. (What I _won't_ be able to do with this knowledge when we are sent back.)

(And that leads me to my last question,) Muldoon said, laughing at the weirdness of it all. (About the novel we're in in your reality…this is such a daft thing to even think about saying, but how does the book end for us?)

Patience was taken aback. She was the type of person who was brutally honest about everything with everyone. But Mr. London was staring intently at her once more, silently warning and imploring her not to reveal what she knew just yet. And frankly, how could she tell them such a hideous thing right off the bat? To be honest, she didn't really have a problem with the concept of smugly, self-righteously telling Nedry that he would get his, that he would pay karma in full by being agonizingly blinded and then disemboweled by a Dilophosaurus.

But Wu was a different story. How could she tell the geneticist right now that Nedry would violate his trust, everyone's trust? That he would have dinosaur embryos, the priceless fruits of his labor, stolen from his vaults? That he would be bushwhacked from above and gutted, eaten alive by one of his own raptor creations? That even if he had been spared in the book, that he would've had to watch powerlessly as his incredible achievements, the living, breathing dinosaurs he'd miraculously brought back from extinction, were cut down and blown up by Costa Rican soldiers in gunships?

That he could've been expected to have been prosecuted, put on trial, had the full force of Costa Rica's judicial system come down on him for his dangerous, irresponsible actions? Patience never had a problem with saying her piece. But she also had enough maturity to understand that sometimes it could hurt, sometimes it needed to wait until later.

(It ends fine,) she lied. (But it's really not important,) she muttered dismissively as she turned back towards Zane.

(Patience,) Wu gently urged, perhaps suspecting they all knew more than they were letting on, (if something bad happens to us or the park in this book, we have a right to know about it.)

(Don't worry,) Mr. London denied cheerily, (everything works out perfectly dandy. But for now, let's just focus on getting to Ground Zero instead. I'm sure you and I will have some wonderful conversations along the way as fellow men of science!)

That caught Wu's interest. (What do you do for a living then, Mr. London?)

(I teach high school science in Wetherford, Montana.)

(Interesting. My sister actually te-)

(What should we do about Zane's wound here?) Muldoon asked from where he was inspecting Zane's flank. (Looks like a nasty one.)

(I say we just clean it up, find a safe place for him to hide, and then leave him on his own,) Patience proposed. Having three sensible adults along for the ride, even if they were in the bodies of prehistoric reptiles and from the world of a novel about cloned dinosaurs, was one thing, and frankly a somewhat welcome development. As long as they didn't get in her way of course. Having an incompetent, annoying, immature class clown and prankster tagging along, not exactly as welcome of a choice.

(There are no safe places,) Mr. London said simply. (And it's a moot point.)

(To say nothing of being rather mean-spirited,) Muldoon added.

(With Bertram and the others,) Bob went on, (they had to be together, or else the machine wouldn't send them home.)

(All mass in the reaction accounted for,) Wu said softly.

(Oh, just wonderful,) Nedry sighed, shaking his head. (You hear that guys?) he asked as he glanced at Wu and Muldoon. (So try not to die on us if you can help it on the way back, okay?)

(We weren't planning on it,) Wu said dryly. (I'm very much against the idea of dying either way.)

(Me as well,) Muldoon said. (But actually, it's frankly _your_ safety I'd be worried the most about Dennis. That body isn't the strongest or has much going for it in the way of weapons.)

She growled in frustration. So they were stuck with stupid Zane. Great. (Just perfect…)

(Waitaminute,) Zane said in shock as he twisted his neck to fully meet her gaze. (What are you talking about? I thought you liked me! I mean, what you did for me in the hall, the way you nailed that jerk-)

(Didn't mean a thing,) she replied coldly. (Maybe I dislike jerks just slightly more than I dislike you.)

Nedry giggled. (My kind of girl,) he said approvingly. It was an approval she didn't particularly care for.

(We're not going to have conflict on this trek, are we?) Muldoon hinted. She ignored both of them.

(Okay…) Zane said in a low, defeated voice, as he turned his gaze back to Bob, then the Jurassic Park Boys, as she now thought of them. (How did you all know I wasn't just some other random dinosaur?)

(Well, duh,) Nedry replied, rolling his eyes.

(We could hear you shouting,) Patience literally snapped as she spun angrily in his direction. (And the ridiculous _blankie_ was also a dead giveaway.)

(But it's gone now,) Wu pointed out.

And indeed, at some time in the past few minutes, it had vanished.

(Yeah,) Zane agreed in thoughtful surprise as he craned his neck to look at his now bare shoulders and back. (I remember now. How did I pull that off? And why is it gone now? I was just thinking about it, wishing for it, and th-)

(I think I understand!) Mr. London said excitedly, even as he shook water from his coat of feathers, almost dancing on his feet. (When Bertram and the others were sent back like this, they were able to manifest certain psychic abilities.)

(Shades of _Unsolved Mysteries_ ,) Nedry muttered in amazement and awe.

(These abilities became more powerful when the students were placed under extreme stress.)

(Unbelievable,) Wu muttered, flabbergasted, sounding strained. (It's all completely, wildly unbelievable.)

(Psychic abilities?) Zane asked as he raised his head in the same apparent surprise that Wu was feeling.

(Powers of the mind,) Mr. London said simply. (It explains how we're able to hear each other in words above the grunts and roars and chirps our physical bodies are producing.)

(You know,) Wu cut in suddenly, (while I still have some ability to think rationally left, how about we do an experiment about that right now? Is that all right with you Zane?)

(Uh, sure, I guess,) Zane said. (What do you want me to try to do for a Jedi mind trick?)

(Just think of any object that comes to your mind,) Wu told him. (A beach towel, for example.)

(Okay.) Zane closed his eyes, and before Patience could make a snide comment about him being careful so he didn't hurt himself, out of thin air a huge royal blue and white beach towel appeared in front of Zane's front feet, covering perhaps two square yards.

The impossible, logic-defying apparition's sudden appearance made them all jerk back in shock and astonishment.

After the initial spook though, Mr. London wasted no time in trotting up to the beach towel and inspecting, then actually rolling, catlike, on it. Wu too, obviously not quite believing what had just taken place, strolled up to the towel and contemplatively sniffed it with the Iguanodon's massive nostrils, touching it with one forefoot as he blinked.

(Isn't this illusion so complete, Dr. Wu?) Bob addressed him in excitement. (Why, I can feel this towel's texture. I can feel it absorbing the water from my plumage. I can smell its newly washed freshness. This is astounding!)

(Yes, it certainly is,) Wu replied softly, eyes roving over it.

(Okay,) Patience commented flatly. (So maybe Zane won't be _totally_ useless. Whenever there's danger, he can summon his special super magic beach towel or blanket. I'm feeling so much safer already.)

Once again, Nedry burst out laughing, sitting down in the horsetails as a series of staccato, higher pitched croaks came from his dino mouth.

(It's not funny!) Zane protested petulantly before, with an actual roar, swiveling his head about and stomping a huge pillar of a front limb as he faced her.

(You know, what's your freaking problem?) he challenged her. (I never did anything to you!)

(You're _here_ ,) Patience snapped at him. (That's enough for me.)

Suddenly, with an explosive snort, Muldoon's Sauropelta body charged into action. With an amazingly fast, plodding, trotting style of running, horsetails and ferns being crushed underneath and before him, all spikes and armor, he was forcing himself between them, emitting a noise like a car screeching to a stop inside a huge cave.

(Yes,) he commanded, lashing his tail as he fixed each of them with a khaki-colored eye, (that most certainly is quite enough! From _both_ of you,) he growled. A snapping turtle trying to mediate a shouting match between two football players.

(Oh, so you're somehow the 'Daddy' of the group now?) she sneered back in contempt, making a show of bending down to remind this literal character just how comparatively small his dinosaur body was. (Who died and gave you that title?)

(No one did,) Wu replied sharply as he raised his head. (But we're still the adults here, and it falls to us to try to provide you as teenagers with some form of guidance and discipline...especially in a world and situation like this, in an environment that's utterly unfamiliar and has already proven to be full of dangers like nothing no human being has ever experienced before.)

(Tell me about it,) Zane shuddered.

(Yeah well, I'm the apex predator in this place,) Patience growled back, very deliberately opening her mouth to show them all her fangs. (And I'll have you all know that I've already kicked the ass of another acro to save Mr. London's hide before you jokers showed up, all on my own,) she declared.

(For which I am most highly grateful,) Bob interjected. (The towel!) he cried suddenly. (It just vanished!) And indeed, the towel was now gone.

(Far-out,) Nedry muttered, blinking.

* * *

 **Zane**

(Yes, it most certainly is,) Mr. London agreed. (It would seem that when you were distracted, the illusion faded. So concentration is a factor. I can see many uses for this power,) he said gleefully. (And considering your imagination-yes, yes indeed!)

Zane couldn't believe this. A teacher was actually praising him. Boy, his dad would love that.

(Well guess what?) Patience said, turning her attention back to Muldoon. (I have both the body and the mindset to take care of myself, by myself...And if anyone doesn't like it, that's simply too fricking bad.)

(I think I like your style!) Nedry laughed approvingly. (She has a spine.)

(No doubt you can,) Muldoon said diplomatically. (It's just that you need to try to get on better with Zane, with everyone. Let's not pick fights if it can be helped.)

(I'm not picking fights,) Patience growled, swishing her tail. (I'm just making Zane know how serious this is, and not to screw around.)

With that, she made a quarter turn and bore down on Zane.

(So in other words, focus,) she growled. (We're going to a spot called _Ground Zero_. Where it's going to be highly dangerous. I want to hear that you're committed to this. Because I don't want to be here.)

(You're far from the only one,) Nedry bitterly chimed in.

(Same goes for me,) Wu added.

(I didn't ask for any of this. All my life, other people have been deciding where I'm going to live, shuttling me from one stupid foster home to another, to places that make Madame Medusa's shack in The Rescuers look nice, where nobody appreciates me or ca-)

Her huge frame shuddered slightly in the rain, head lowered as she went on, voice cracking, (The Mushnicks, the current fake parents I'm living with right now? Stan and Judy tell me that I'm lucky because I actually know what my life is worth. $695 bucks a month.)

(Oh Jesus,) Wu said thinly, clearly sickened.

(What bloody bastards,) Muldoon grumbled darkly.

She paused, briefly glancing at them, then back to Zane.

(That's how much the state of Montana pays them to take care of me. It's what they get for letting me have a room, three squares a day, halfway decent clothes, my three cats, and a key to that glorified shack they call a two-story home…)

(My God, I am so sorry you have to put up with that,) Wu said softly, clearly as depressed by the idea as Zane was.

(That's what you want to get back to?) Zane asked quietly. He couldn't imagine such a family life.

(Actually, yes,) Patience spat. (Mushnick's First Law. Keep your head down and just get through. I suck at the first part. The second part-getting through-is what keeps me going. And Dr. Wu,) she addressed the Iguanodon harshly, (please spare me your damn pity. I don't have time for that crap.)

(I was only trying to-)

She looked at Zane again as she cut the geneticist off.

(I'm going back so I can finish my time, then break free and go where I want and do what I want.)

(Looks like we're both kindred spirits!) an enthusiastic Nedry grinned as he nodded. (She's absolutely right. If the world turns its back on you, then return the favor and tell everyone who disagrees that they can go shove it.)

(So I'm telling you once more, we're going to Ground Zero. And I'm asking you, can you stick it out like the rest of us?)

 _No, heck no, not a chance_ , Zane thought nervously. But what was the alternative? It was just like in school. He needed to be protected. He was a coward. And he hated it.

(I'm in,) Zane replied.

Their three unexpected companions from Jurassic Park-the-novel-alternate-universe-in-other-dinosaur-bodies didn't need to be asked. Zane wondered what it was like to be an adult. To be so confident and sure of one's self.

(We're with you too,) Muldoon affirmed.

(Sticking together, whether we like it or not,) Wu agreed wryly.

Suddenly, Zane noticed another smaller feathered dinosaur warily picking its way through the bushy conifers from the right, an atom of a thing compared to his own. It looked very like Nedry's dinosaur body, and was a female of the same species-his huge nostrils could smell it.

He realized that she'd been in the background the whole time they'd been meeting and greeting, staying about sixty feet behind Patience, moving toward them, then away, circling, gaze veering from Patience to him to Nedry. She was a scavenger, like a jackal, he realized, expecting Patience to finish what the first ridge-back had started with him at any moment. Now that was a rather creepy thought.

On its heels came an even more entertaining epiphany. This particular female dinosaur was the mate of Nedry's dinosaur body! Zane of course, knew all about the horrible events Nedry had caused in the book and movie due to his underhanded behavior. While his death by Dilophosaurus came across as well deserved, this was a hilarious alternative.

As the female came towards Nedry, head lowered in respectful submission as she uttered a sort of purring coo, Zane inwardly chuckled. _Oh Dennis my boy_ , he thought, _this is your just desserts, and funny beyond words._

(Your lady friend's coming back over,) Muldoon smirked.

(Oh Christ,) Nedry grated as he turned to face his romantic stalker. (What part of 'We're not a couple' do you not understand?!) he snapped at her, raising his feathered arms and hissing in threat.

The female dinosaur was taken aback, but only briefly before advancing once more, actually sidling up to Nedry and trying to groom him.

She got a rude reception as he shoved her away with his arms, actually clawing feathers from her as he protested in disgust, (Don't you touch me with your filthy body, damn it! I don't want any part of you!)

As she retreated a few yards with a surprised, hurt squawk, Zane couldn't help but laugh with the others. (You're wasting time resisting,) he sang glibly, (You'll find the more you do, the more she'll keep insisting. Her him-has-got to be YOU!)

(Like hell it will be!) Nedry snapped as he flung out his neck in the direction of his paramour and bit the air. (Go take a hike Harriet!)

(Harriet?) Patience said in perplexity. (Why Harriet?)

(It's in obvious reference to a popular TV series from our childhoods, Ozzie and Harriet,) Mr. London supplied. (Both the main characters were madly in love with each other.)

(Not going to happen anytime soon,) Muldoon laughed. (You can't fight off the nature of things Dennis.)

(All she knows is that you're her mate,) Wu agreed, (part of a lifelong pair bond that like with birds, may have lasted for years before this.)

Zane meanwhile, turned away, shaking his head in amusement as he strode to the top of the hill. There he noticed Runt again, approaching from the other side. Returning to the only protection he had right now.

 _Wait! I just can't abandon Runt._

Which really sucked.

(Excuse me,) Zane said to Patience warily. (There's just one other thing to deal with… You see, I have a stalker too.)

* * *

 **As always, I request that you please read and review! It's the only reward I get out of this.**


	5. Chapter 5

**And here's a fifth chapter for you good folks. I hope you readers are enjoying it.**

* * *

 **Wu**

Henry Wu's mind was in a whirl as their strange little caravan began to get underway. So much about this situation-hell, everything!-made absolutely no sense at all. He thought of how the Queen of Hearts, in one of his favorite books as a teenager, Through the Looking-Glass, had blithely told Alice, "Why, I believe six different impossible things before breakfast."

And that was about how many supposedly impossible things, ones that defied logic and the laws of nature, he was being forced to accept and deal with now. Almost an impossibility in itself for him.

A machine that could literally snatch the consciousness of a person from their body, send it through space and time, and then arbitrarily place it into the body of a dinosaur? And it had all been a random accident of chance?

Arthur C. Clarke had famously written three unofficial "laws" of prediction, the last of which was that any sufficiently advanced technology was indistinguishable from magic.

Wu already knew all about that sensation. For all his faults and evasiveness, Hammond often flatteringly called him "Jurassic Park's miracle worker," a "genetic wizard," who "surpassed Merlin."

And Wu _was_ rightly both extremely proud and awed beyond measure at what he and his lab had managed to do. There were still times when he looked at the eggs in the incubation room or emu pens, the chicks and babies in the nursery, the juveniles and adults in their paddocks, and still felt like pinching himself, that it was all some lucid, unreal dream or illusion.

But what Bertram had evidently done with his M.I.N.D. machine was an order of magnitude beyond managing to clone living dinosaurs, wonderful and shocking and disturbing and crazy and so difficult to grasp all at once.

How? How to grasp the fact that he, the particular human consciousness and personality that self-identified as Henry Wu, was now forced to co-habit with and direct the movements of the mind and body of a three and a half ton herbivore?

That two of his fellow staff members had had the same astonishing thing happen to them?

And for that matter, if he was currently lying sprawled out on the floor of Jurassic Park's control room in a coma, how was his brain still aware, still able to control and think, have any role in this body at all?

This Iguanodon wasn't exactly a mental heavyweight. More like a flyweight when it came to brain size and power, to be honest.

Was there some type of conduit left open between both universes, through what could be called the space between space? One that allowed his mind and awareness to act in _this_ universe, yet remain tethered to his brain in the other-somewhat like with The Soft Ones in Isaac Asimov's _The Gods Themselves_?

The idea that there were other realities and universes out there was somewhat easier for his mind to accept. While his expertise was in genetics, not quantum physics, he knew about the reasoning behind the Many-worlds hypothesis, the concept of an unfathomably vast and complex multiverse where every possible outcome of an event and the resulting permutations existed in their own distinct universe, and was in agreement with it.

He never could have imagined though, that there was any possible way to penetrate that impassable veil between worlds, to send a human awareness through it without harm.

And what was the most baffling thing of all, the concept that made his brain seem to slowly fall to pieces, was the ridiculous, wild idea that Wu, Muldoon, and Nedry were all characters in a book and movie in other universes, spontaneously imagined and developed by another universe's, _another Earth's_ , Michael Crichton! He simply did not know how such a wild, insane coincidence could come about.

What made everything that much more bizarre was that he had both read and owned several of Crichton's novels. (As a geneticist and microbiologist, _The Andromeda Strain_ had a special place in his heart. _The Terminal Man_ and  Sphere were superb too.) Well, this was an experience every bit as crazy as anything that Norman, Harry, and Beth faced in the pages of Sphere, that much was plain to Wu.

Least of all the mind-boggling, sense defying evident psychic abilities they were able to manifest, from telepathy to Zane's act with the blanket and beach towel. Again, like those granted to the characters who entered the titular sphere, a sort of funhouse mirror for the mind, a projector that made a person's innermost fears, wishes, and thoughts become solid, often terrifying reality.

Wu wasn't exactly sure yet if he found the concept of their group's unsuspected new psychic powers terrifying. He did know that it was something extremely difficult for his scientific mindset to accept, a phenomenon squarely from the realm of a séance, not empirical studies and evidence.

He'd never admit to it, but already this had all been enough to partly open the door between sanity and madness within his mind. Several times. But not completely, thank Christ.

It brought to mind Clarke's second law, "The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible." Henry Wu and his two companions from Jurassic Park had certainly ventured into the impossible by at least a good twenty-five miles.

But he was also constantly learning, absorbing so much from the experience.

With his nearly 360 degree vision, he had no difficulty noticing the juvenile sauropod, Runt, already the size of a bull hippo, come striding up on his left, stopping briefly alongside Wu's own massive flank. There he paused and lowered his head to meet Wu's gaze with a rich brown-gold eye for several seconds. The pupil was rectangular, like a horse's. It was just like the eyes of the sauropods at Jurassic Park.

Suddenly, Runt raised his head, and firmly shoved Wu with his scaly shoulder!

(Whoa!) Wu yelped in surprise as his body tilted to the right, splaying his legs so as not to be bowled over.

(Hey Runt, be nice to Dr. Wu,) Zane chided from in front.

(It's all right,) Wu assured him as he regained his balance and returned to his quadrupedal walking, actually chuckling as he did. (He was only having a bit of fun. And please, just call me Henry.)

And indeed, the young sauropod's eyes seemed to contain a distinct sparkle of merriment as he shoved Wu a second time, with less force. Then he broke away and moved up to Zane's side. As best he could, Wu regarded the differences between the juvenile and subadult. They would prove invaluable first-hand information about proper development if he ever act-no, he courageously reminded himself, when-was sent back to the park and his own body.

Both Zane and Nedry had made it abundantly clear that they wanted their unaltered conspecifics in tow about as much as they wanted to contract a hemorrhagic fever. Wu however, thought it little short of a godsend.

And even though they were being "piloted" by human minds, the other dino bodies in their troop had plenty of remarkable things to divulge too.

Patience's Acrocanthosaurus body, for example. The entire torso and upper portion of the five and a half ton predator was covered, stippled, in a mantle of silver and black quills that looked very much like the bristles of a domestic pig or elephant.

He couldn't help but mentally frown in melancholy as he watched her with the Iguanodon's right eye. For five years, he'd all but been restricted to Isla Nublar, only leaving it for trips to the Costa Rican mainland or InGen's headquarters in Palo Alto.

But all the same, those five years had not been nearly enough time to make him ignorant of what a harsh and unjust place the world could be. A world that contained too many broken dreams, broken homes, child molesters, crooked politicians, out of reach stars and unwanted children. Like Patience.

She refused to feel sorry for herself or be the object of anyone's pity. Wu could understand that mindset. It was brave and admirable. But still, it was a pretty awful thing that she had to live that sort of life with a pair of apathetic, greedy foster parents.

Then, as if she could sense him thinking about her, he was broken out of his thoughts by her head-speech.

(We need to do something about that wound Zane,) she said in concern. (Try to keep it clean.)

(Yeah, but what?) Zane replied.

(Wu's a doctor. Maybe he has some suggestions,) she replied as she turned in his direction, cocking her long head to fix him with her right eye.

(I'm a doctor of genetics and cellular biology, not medicine,) Wu said. (And unfortunately, medical supplies like rubbing alcohol and gauze are a hundred and twenty million years into the future. Still, I'll do what I can.)

Walking up to Zane's side, he peered at the nasty bite in front of Zane's hip from his left eye for several seconds. Muldoon joined him.

(One good thing,) Wu commented at length, (is that this hard rain is helping to keep the wound flushed out fairly well. Still, it would be best to find a clear, flowing stream that you could lie or kneel in for a while. It would also be nice if we could find some type of natural antiseptic to smear on it as well.)

(How about some type of resin or gum?) Muldoon suggested. (The Maasai use the gel in aloe leav-)

(Or conifer resin!) Mr. London said excitedly. (There's certainly an abundant supply of it for the taking,) he added, gesturing with a short, stubby arm at the trees all around them.

(That's a brilliant idea,) Wu agreed, nodding his head.

(Also-dare I say it-) Nedry warily put forth, (gross as I know it sounds, maybe someone could-uggh-do what dogs do when they get hurt?)

(You mean lick the wound clean?) Muldoon replied. (Not the nicest concept, but that would do too.)

(Nedry's right. That is gross,) Zane said in disgust. (Still, do whatever you have to do,) he sighed.

(It would also help to try to make some sort of poultice,) Patience suggested. (If there's a stream, there's probably some clay we could use for one too. All we'd need is some big leaves too.)

(Sounds like a good strategy,) Wu said approvingly.

(Do you see a stream or river anywhere around here?) Patience asked, even as she raised her stretched-out head to sniff the air. (I could probably smell the flowing water on my own, but this rain makes it impossible.)

(Give me a second,) Zane replied as he raised his head and slowly swiveled it around in a semicircle, neck curving like a giraffe's.

(There!) he said suddenly. (There's a small river about three miles away to the northwest. I can see a big grove of big conifers too,) he added.

(Let's get a move on then,) Muldoon said. (Get you to your doctor's appointment,) he joked.

* * *

 **Zane**

The wound still burned and ached with each step he took, but Zane tried not to complain as they approached the flowing river.

The river was flowing over smooth cobbles, and was about thirty yards from bank to bank, with a current that Zane judged to be maybe ten miles an hour. For a human to enter this rain-swollen torrent would be the very definition of stupid. But Zane was pretty sure that his sauropod body could withstand the force no problem.

Still, he was careful as he gingerly walked, elephant-fashion, into the flowing water, the cobbles shifting and clicking under his weight.

(Watch your step,) Muldoon cautioned from the bank behind him. (That current is pretty strong, and there's no telling how deep it is.)

(Believe me, I am,) Zane replied. (Hear that? You stay back Runt,) he told his baby brother sternly, who was starting to innocently follow him into the water. To his relief, Runt obeyed and backed out, blinking in confusion.

The water grew deeper, until it was up to his dinosaur body's belly at the river's middle point. Still too shallow to cover the wound.

So he kneeled like a camel down into the torrent, gritting his stubby teeth at the disconcerting sensation of his blood starting to flow over his skin once more, and then the cold water pushing into the exposed nerves.

(Ahh jeez!) he yelped. (This cold water stings like blazes!)

(I'm sure it does,) Muldoon replied. (But it's doing you good.)

(Oh come on,) Patience sneered. (The mighty Zane's not so much of a wuss that he can't handle some cold water, is he?)

(Pfft, I'll show you who's a wuss,) Zane fired back as he fought the discomfort.

(Now's probably as good a time as any to try to tap some resin from these trees, don't you think Dr. Wu?) Mr. London inquired of the Jurassic Park geneticist, who was taking the opportunity to drink at the riverbank.

(It is,) Wu agreed before turning away to follow the Hypsilophodon. (Especially since it's going to take a while for enough resin to flow out to treat a wound that size. Stay in the river for as long as you can bear it,) he told Zane over his shoulder.

(Okay.)

Craning his long neck to the right to get a better look, he saw Wu go up to one of a group of 70 foot tall trees that looked a lot like hemlocks as Mr. London said, (Let's get started with this one.)

As Zane watched, Wu then carefully shifted his weight backward onto his hips, like a circus elephant, and lightly placed his snow mitten hands on the tree. After considering briefly, he then carefully, deliberately shoved the spike on each thumb into the bark at an angle until it was scraping the actual wood underneath.

In a controlled, powerful movement, Wu slowly stood up out of his squat, never removing his thumb spikes from the tree's bark until he'd reached as high up the trunk as high as he was able, standing in a tripod position with his thick tail and broad rhino/emu feet. Zane could smell the sharp odor of the resin that began to ooze from the massive furrows.

(You know,) Wu commented thoughtfully as he backed away from the tree and sunk back on all fours, (doing that made my Iguanodon body's instincts want to do something very odd. It wanted to rub its cheeks-his cheeks-up and down these furrows in the bark, and then rub its chin on the lower branches.)

(Sounds like-) Patience began.

(Extraordinary!) Mr. London barged in excitedly. (Who would've ever dreamed it? Scent marking! We have now discovered that without a doubt, one of the main purposes of the spikes on the thumbs of iguanodonts was actually for scent marking by gouging the bark of trees!)

(Makes sense,) Muldoon shrugged. (Lions and leopards use their claws to do the same thing on trees.)

(When the first articulated specimens of Iguanodon were discovered in a Belgian coal mine,) Mr. London prattled on, (it was speculated that the formerly enigmatic spike borne on each hand at the thumb was used as a defensive weapon that was wielded like a stiletto against large theropods-like Acrocanthosaurus here,) he said, gesturing to Patience. (However, since Iguanodon's arms were tucked close to its chest and it would've had to rear up to use them, and then could only harm a predator in such a fashion if it was directly in front of it, this possibility is a dubious one at best. But now we have had an answer revealed by our good Dr.-)

(That's great,) Zane groused tetchily. (Can I get out of this freezing water now?)

(Well yeah. You don't have to ask permission,) scoffed Nedry. (Just do it.)

(Nike's motto,) Patience muttered.

Wu meanwhile, had already made a pair of long gouges with his thumb spikes in two more of the hemlock-looking conifers.

The rest of the treatment was straightforward.

After Zane left the river, everyone agreed that while they waited for enough resin to flow out from the couple dozen pairs of gouges Wu had made in the bark of the local conifers, someone should swallow their pride and clean out Zane's injury as best they could with their tongue. He would've done it himself, but as he pointed out, his neck simply wouldn't twist around far enough to reach it.

So Patience volunteered-but was vetoed right away by Muldoon and Mr. London, who pointed out that as a carnivore, the bacteria and rotting flesh in her mouth would almost certainly cause severe septic shock if she did so.

(Yeah, I should've thought of that,) Patience agreed. (Besides, even if my mouth was as clean as a surgeon's scrubs, tasting the blood on this tongue, in this body-well, I…I'm not so sure her instincts wouldn't take total control, that I'd just lose it and do what came naturally.)

Eventually it had fallen to Dr. Wu to perform the near-vampiric, nasty deed. Overcoming his revulsion, he'd gone up to where Zane stood, closed his eyes, and opened his turtle beak. A shell pink, cow like tongue slid out, and touched Zane's wound.

The Iguanodon's tongue was raspy like a cow's, scraping and pulling at the raw flesh. It had hurt, and Zane couldn't help but twitch his massive muscles, lash his tail, or slide his front feet over the forest floor in response.

Wu didn't exactly seem to enjoy doing it either, although he had very creepily confessed that the Iguanodon's mind actually relished the taste of the salt in Zane's blood. Now that was too freaky and gross!

When he'd backed away, both Zane and Wu had immediately put a couple dozen yards of distance between each other, each chomping on a few mouthfuls of greens to feel better, lose themselves for a few moments in each dinosaur's mind.

Enough resin had flowed out of the gouges Wu had made at that point. Using the Iguanodon as like a living stepladder, Mr. London had climbed to the top of Henry's muzzle with a thick stick clenched in his mouth, which he then rubbed into each gouge, scraping, turning, until the end was good and coated with resin.

Zane would then lie down on his side and allow either Mr. London or Nedry to smear the resin onto a large leaf, then stick it against his wound.

They did it again and again, until it was plastered with the bitter-smelling mixture. The final part of the medical procedure was carried out by Patience, who mixed river clay and tree fern fronds Wu had bitten off with his beak into a crude poultice with her inward facing, awkward acro hands. She clumsily placed it on the layer of leaves and resin, which Muldoon then spread out into a fairly even second protective layer with his long tail.

And the first medical procedure in the Mesozoic Era-in history!-was finished at last.

Gingerly, Zane stood back up.

(Feel better?) Mr. London asked as Runt also regarded him with concern.

(I feel fine enough I guess,) Zane replied as he started to walk. (Thanks for the help everybody.)

(You're welcome,) Wu said.

(Glad we could help,) said Nedry, even as he turned to glare at Harriet, who was trying to sneak close to him.

And they once more began to walk in the direction of Ground Zero's psychic pull.

* * *

 **As Mr. London touched on in this chapter, for a long time it was thought that the thumb spikes of Iguanodon (Wu is actually in the body of a dinosaur recently assigned the new genus name Dakotadon, but our protagonists would not have known about that) and its close relatives were wielded in defense as stabbing or slashing weapons. As Brian Switek points out at his blog Laelaps though, using the spikes in such a manner would've involved having to get just a bit too close for comfort to a big theropod, placing its head and neck well within biting range. Plus-unless it was severely mentally handicapped-an attacking theropod wouldn't just stand in front of the Iguanodon and let itself be stabbed. It would dodge or leap to the side-and then use its jaws to return the favor. Ramming, biting with their sharp, serrated beak, and blows from their massive, heavy tails would've been much safer and more practical methods of defense, although Iguanodon might still have used its thumb spikes to help finish off a predator that had already been wounded in some other way, or simply displayed them as a way of saying "Back off!"**

 **So what DID Iguanodon use its thumb spikes for then? Alternatives range from using them to dig seeps in hard ground for water, to digging out roots and tubers, to helping rip foliage off of branches, to prying off bark or chunks of hard, mineral-rich clay. But all of these possibilities also have counter-arguments as well against them. My own hypothesis here is that Iguanodonts-particularly bulls-used them to scent mark trees, in a similar fashion to how male ring-tailed lemurs use special spurs on their wrists today to produce cuts in the bark of saplings, which they then rub scent into from glands on their wrists. Plausible? I think so!**

 **Also, I urge everyone to not only read, but please leave a review if you get half a chance to. They really are the only reward and incentive I get out of doing this.**

 **And speaking of Iguanodon fighting back against predators, there might or might not be a thrilling chapter where Wu has to fight for his life against a Deinonychus pack all on his own in a future chapter. Of course, my interest in writing is tied to reviews...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Patience**

(There had never been such a herd before,) Zane intoned from behind her as they walked. (A ridge backed sharptooth, a spike thumb, two long-armed longnecks, a rock back, a leaper, and two small curve claws.)

(Or more accurately, an Acrocanthosaurus, an Iguanodon, two Astrodon, a Sauropelta, a Hypsilophodon, and two troodontids,) Mr. London responded good-humoredly from where he was trotting at Patience's right.

(Sounds like someone's seen The Land Before Time,) Nedry chuckled knowingly.

(Yep,) Zane said. (Loved that movie as a little kid. I couldn't even start to guess how many times my mom or my babysitter would pop it into the VC-)

(Wait a minute, as a kid?) Nedry said in confusion. (The Land Before Time was released in theaters just last winter, and you sound like a teenager from what I can tell, so-Holy Jesus.)

(Wow,) Muldoon said. (Incredible. Good Christ in a bloody cesspool.)

(You're from the-our-future, aren't you.) Wu said, amazed.

(We are,) Patience grunted. (But only a decade into it.)

(The turn of the new millennium, in fact,) Mr. London added. (An exciting and inspiring time!)

(How did you see The Land Before Time?) Zane asked Nedry, quickly changing the subject. (No offense, but isn't that movie kind of, uh…)

(Juvenile?) Nedry finished simply. (Yeah, I guess it is. But I was visiting my sister in Boston for the holidays, and my nephews wanted their Uncle Dennis and all the other relatives to join them for a night at the movies. So I had little choice.)

(Turns out though,) he went on, (it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected it to be. To be honest, it was downright intense a lot of the time. Had great characters too.)

(I loved Petrie,) Zane said fondly.

(Yeah, he was a blast,) Nedry agreed. (The way he mangled the English language was goddamn hilarious, and who can resist the humor of a pterodactyl that can't fly? Spike was great too, partly because of the expressions the big lug made, and also because he reminds me of myself-expect I'm a hundred times smarter by far. We both love our food though!) he laughed.

 _But Spike doesn't steal from his boss and sabotage vital security systems_ , Patience was sorely tempted to growl back. But she thought better of it, and trudged on, her head held at the 25 degree angle her host body found most comfortable.

(I'm feeling like a leaf lunch,) Muldoon commented from behind them, and Patience saw him veer off to a clump of ferns, where he started to feed.

(Me too,) Wu agreed, turning in the opposite direction and loping over to a large patch of cycads, where his serrated beak opened and sliced into a tough, leathery dripping frond, in a fashion that reminded her of watching the giant tortoises at Reptile Gardens eating watermelon slices. (A body like this needs massive amounts of food, and to eat all the time to get enough nutrition out of it.)

Patience watched the geneticist chew with mild interest from her left eye. Instead of simply swallowing each bite like the tortoises had, he chewed it-but in a far different manner than any other creature she'd ever seen do it.

The jaws of humans, cattle, monkeys, and many other mammals move in a sideways, rotating fashion while chewing. Wu's lower jaw though, continuously moved up and down, the teeth sliding against the inner surface of the teeth in his upper jaw, while the sides of his head slowly expanded and contracted. A low grinding sound, like nuts being chewed up or gravel under a tractor's tires, came from within his horsey cheeks. It was actually rather soothing.

Every sixty seconds a visible lump of processed cycad or fern appeared in his thick throat, smoothly sliding down to his stomach. He seemed to be using his tongue like a piston to drag the food into his mouth and then, once sufficiently chewed into mash, to the back of his mouth cavity to be swallowed.

Mr. London was also making stops to take bites of leaves, chewing in a similar fashion.

(Ahh, the joys of having cheeks and being able to chew,) he sighed happily. (It allowed ornithopods to process and digest food far more effectively, removing the necessity of having to swallow stones to grind plant material like sauropods did.)

(How do the greens taste?) she asked Wu.

(To this Iguanodon's body, surprisingly good,) he replied in what sounded like pleasure. (I thought this foliage would come across to its sense of taste as dull and monotonous, even bitter, but I-he finds it flavorful.)

(The same goes for this Sauropelta's body,) Muldoon said as he browsed. (Never imagined I could chew on ferns and enjoy it.)

Patience continued to walk at a slow pace.

The rain kept falling, and now the terrain was a long series of rising, rust colored hills and ever-widening muddy valleys or rock strewn hollows. There were certainly plenty of plants about, a fair number bearing cracked or broken off boughs, or bedraggled and stripped branches. Some had even been trampled into the mud. Clear signs that dinosaur herds had passed through.

Plants whose leaves were nice and soaked and shelter for all sorts of bugs. Yeah, delicious. _If_ you were plant eaters like the lumbering pain-in-the-neck who was browsing behind her. She could hear him talking to his new baby brother.

(One can't forget to eat one's grinding stones, no, one cannot. And if one does, Mr. London is here to remind them.)

(I heard that!) Mr. London called in irritation as Nedry laughed. He was scurrying about ahead like a turkey, generally keeping away from the others.

(Look!) he cried. (More _Prisca reynoldsii_ and _Pseudofrenelopsis parceramosa!_ )

(Oh God, he actually knows the names of extinct lizard food?) Nedry droned as he rolled his eyes. (What a gigantic nerd.)

(Something wrong with that?) Wu said smoothly as he turned away from his lunch.

(Not really. It's just super annoying.)

Mr. London ignored his derider as he began to chow down on the crazy flowering plants. They were scarce in this era. Wu, Runt, and Zane sauntered over and joined him.

Patience had heard Mr. London catalog the plants before. The first, belonging to a family called magnolids, resembled puffy, inflated, green and yellow Popsicles on green stalks.

(These are like licorice sticks compared to most of the other plants back here!) Zane said in pleasure as he chomped and swallowed.

(They're certainly a lot more nutritious,) Wu said as he leant forward for another bite with his turtle beak. (Who could've ever guessed we'd be here, browsing on some of the first flowering plants,) he said in contemplative wonder.

Once those plants were eaten, Wu strode off to a large thicket of big bushy trees, fifteen feet tall with saw-edged leaves and bedraggled pink flowers that looked like those of magnolias. There he began to browse again, reaching up with his hands to grip a branch with his opposable little finger like a thumb and pulling it down to mouth level, slowly shuffling about the trunk on his broad hind feet. Sometimes he would run a thinner branch through the grip of one of his hands, stripping off a great wad of the large leaves which he then clutched against his palm as he ate.

(This stripping behavior is remarkably similar to how giant pandas eat,) he commented in fascination.

(Not to sound dumb, but have you ever seen a real live panda?) Patience asked curiously.

(Not in the wild, if that's what you're wondering,) Wu replied, looking at her from his right eye. (But I've seen them both at the National Zoo in Washington and the Beijing Zoo. They're surprisingly big, and yes, every bit as playful and adorable as they seem.)

Zane meanwhile, was eating from a group of taller trees that sported serrated protrusions of bright red and a soft, rich blue.

(Stop that!) Mr. London abruptly hollered. (Stop! Stop!)

Patience saw Runt chasing her teacher around as the rain fell.

(Come on, Runt,) Zane commanded. He broke off feeding and rubbed his new little brother's flank with a guiding forefoot.

(Play behavior in sauropods,) Wu breathed. (I never would have guessed, with the diminutive size of their brains.)

(And family ties,) Muldoon added.

She watched as Zane tried to move Runt along. Nothing worked. He shook his Astrodon head in defeat, and his triangular column of a neck moved with it, spraying water in a mist.

(I wonder what I'd be doing if we were home. Probably staring at the bell, bored out of my skull, waiting for it to ring.)

(Yeah, probably,) Patience agreed.

(God, I remember having to suffer through my classes just like that way too well, to the point where I sometimes wanted to scream for someone to just shoot me,) Nedry reminisced in exasperation. (What we don't have to go through to get a diploma.)

(Being in the classroom never bothered me,) said Wu as he continued to feed. (I usually found it to be a good experience.)

(Yeah, well, it _would_ for you,) Nedry grumbled. (Since you're a super-brainy Asian guy and all.)

(That's not necessarily true about our race,) Wu pointed out quickly. (There are a lot of people from China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian nations who are extremely intelligent and quickly make a name for themselves in highly technical positions and careers, I'll gladly grant you that. But there are also some individuals who are at the hind end of the bell curve in terms of intelligence. There was another Chinese-American student I knew in high school for example, Jason Dang. And there were several subjects like math that were a serious strug-)

(I can't believe I'm saying this,) Zane sighed, (but I actually miss that stupid bell. I can just hear it-)

And suddenly, they all could. The sound of a school bell filled their minds, and everyone flinched in surprise as Runt quickly broke off chasing and bluff-charging Mr. London to jog back to Zane's side, producing a series of calf like bleats from the sound generating chambers around his nostrils as he looked up expectantly. He seemed happy, intensely curious, and excited.

(It's a fun game to him,) Patience commented. (He's so cute.)

(Yeah.)

(And a priceless source of information,) Wu added.

(Can I eat him?)

(Bloody hell Patience!) Muldoon said in shock. (What's-)

(I wish.) Zane sighed. (I really don't think this body I'm in would appreciate it.)

(I really wouldn't either,) Wu said simply.

(You're welcome to eat _Harriet_ any time you wish,) Nedry offered, shooting a baleful glance at his new mate ten yards behind, threatening her with a hiss and raised arms.

(If she could manage to catch her,) Muldoon said dryly.

They were stuck with the two of them, it appeared. Runt and Harriet followed them everywhere, the troodontid confident in her speed and agility to keep her safe around Patience. As for her Acro body's mind, it regarded the prehistoric turkey with aloof, regal disdain. She was too small to be any real threat to acro eggs or chicks, and certainly posed no competition for prey like the pack-running sickle claws did.

Runt showed a healthier respect for her size and status as a predator, sticking close to either Zane or Wu for apparent security. She supposed he regarded them as being a mixed iguanodon-astro herd in miniature.

As time had passed though, he'd already begun to get used to her, display increasingly less fear. In some ways, the young astrodon was one of the boldest spirits she'd ever encountered. In other ways, a massive pain. He came close to making Zane seem okay!

At least Harriet was only posing a real annoyance to Nedry (who totally deserved it, the backstabbing pig), thank God. Cocking her slim head, the feathered dinosaur suddenly stopped, holding up a foot. Then she plunged her head among the ferns, coming back up with a squirming, large cockroach in her jaws that she bolted down whole. How nasty!

As they all began to fall into line once more, Runt's attention seemed to be drifting. So Zane made the bell sound again.

 _Brrr-ring-ring-ring-ring_. The sound flushed a dumpy, green-gray and yellow frog the size of a large rat and covered in brown speckles out from its hiding place under a fallen log, leaping in confused panic. Quick as a flash, Harriet was on it, thrusting out her hands and piercing its body with double tridents of claws.

(Kermit! Nnooo!) Zane half-jokingly shouted at the sight.

(Hey, she's got to eat too,) Muldoon commented simply. (Not pretty, but it's the way things are out here.)

(Oh God, I don't want to have to eat things like that,) Nedry said, sickened as he watched Harriet devour the frog in three bloody gulps. (No way!)

(Do not worry too much Dennis,) Mr. London assured him. (There is speculation that troodontids may actually have been omnivor-)

Runt danced about on his feet, then touched his snout to Zane's right foreleg.

 _You are so cool, big bro…_

She decided to fall back some distance as Zane now led Runt up a hill by making the sound of a telephone ringing while she and Mr. London followed fifty feet behind Muldoon's Sauropelta. Zane kept him and a curious Harriet further occupied with eggbeaters, wind chimes, and a couple pieces of music from Carlos Santana as they walked on, Wu or Muldoon halting briefly every few minutes to take a few bites of salad before getting back on the move.

(Can I eat him?) Mr. London asked Patience at length, cocking up his head to meet her gaze with an unsettling wine-red eye that seemed to glower like a hawk's or a chicken's. (Really now. You seem to be in an even surlier mood than usual. I didn't think that was possible, but-)

Patience growled and tried to kick the Hypsilophodon. He gave a rolling click of surprise and darted out of her way. He was a fast little lizard.

(Whoa,) said Nedry. (I think you just touched a nerve there buddy,) he warned. (I'd be careful.)

(So what's eating you?) he persisted.

(Nothing, because she's at the top of the food chain!) Nedry glibly answered, breaking out into laughter at his own joke.

(Stuff,) she absentmindedly grunted.

(Ah. That's the extent to which you're willing to share? There's-stuff?)

(Hey buddy,) Nedry hissed, shooting Mr. London a harsh glare, (she has no obligation to share a damn thing with you. So quit trying to play therapist and mind your own business, all right?)

(Yeah,) Patience agreed. Fancy Nedry, of all the Jurassic Park Boys, to defend her right to keep her emotions private!

The crest of long navy blue filaments running down Mr. London's spine slowly sprung erect, like an angry cat's, and her teacher fixed Nedry with what seemed like an irritated look, clacking his cream-colored beak twice.

(Bring it on buddy,) Nedry taunted, displaying his hand claws and waving his tail. (Let's go.)

But if he was contemplating lashing out at the programmer, he evidently swiftly thought better of it, for his feathered crest lowered back into place, and he turned away, muscles relaxing under the furlike plumes.

(Smart boy,) Nedry said.

She looked away. Patience had felt unsettled, a degree of confusion ever since she'd encountered the male acro that had been attacking Zane. There had been a look of recognition in the dinosaur's eyes, and he had relinquished the prey to her without any protest or defiance, in a gallant, gentlemanly manner. She had felt a connection she just couldn't explain to the ridge-back with large patches of beautiful forest green.

When she'd fought Number 47, she'd only felt and recognized that they were half-sisters. But this one, that she thought of as the Green Knight-he had some type of powerful history with her, something that ran deeper. That both intrigued and alarmed Patience.

She shot a glance at Zane's flank. In the rain, further worked up by the movements of his vast muscles, his so-called bandages were starting to peel and fall away. She just hoped they'd had the chance to do him some good first.

(How are you feeling, Zany?) she asked.

Zane tensed uneasily. He'd been very worried about getting blood poisoning ever since Mr. London had, with an innocent insensitivity, shared a short biology lesson with them earlier, after leaving the river where Zane had bathed.

(You see, when an Acrocanthosaurus attacked a massive sauropod like yourself, the great carnosaur wouldn't expend more energy than it needed or take undue risks. A few good, slashing bites like this, and if the sauropod wasn't killed outright by blood loss, the bacteria in its mouth would provoke an infection.)

(Then, as with modern Komodo dragons, it would be a matter of tracking the sauropod until it became weak. At length, it would collapse, unable to flee any farther. The Acro would then fall upon its defenseless victim or signal fellow members of its species to come share in the feast.)

Jeez, a real motivational speech there, and Muldoon had disapprovingly said as much. She had the impression Zane was worrying over Mr. London's words again.

(Um…how do I look to you?) he asked fearfully.

She couldn't help herself. (Actually,) Patience responded, (your hair seems to have fallen out completely.)

Zane froze, then looked down at his baggy, scaly hide. (Oh, hah-hah. Very funny. And I thought I was the jokester around here.)

(What use are you otherwise?) she grumbled. He looked away.

(Patience, lay off of him for God's sake!) Muldoon chided.

(And let's not forget the major mission we should be focusing on,) Wu reminded them as he came up alongside her. (Bertram spoke of an amber key that we need to find on our way to Ground Zero. Admittedly, it sounds like something out of The Lord of the Rings, but I'm sure it has a legitimate purpose.)

(Or something from a PlayStation game,) Mr. London said cheerily.

Zane's head swiveled around. (Will just loves those games! We play them all the time, and he'll often say that the game is so lame in some department, and he comes up with ideas to improve it, make it more awesome, and-)

(Wait, you must mean video games, right?) Nedry asked.

(Yeah,) Zane replied in excitement. (Are you a gamer too?)

(Oh hell yes,) Nedry grinned. (I live for video games. _The Legend of Zelda_ , _Dragon Slayer II_ , _The Adventure of Link_ , _Renegade_ , _Final Fantasy_ , _Street Fighter_ , _Metroid_ , _Donkey_ _Kong_ -they're all such a blast to play! I guess they must be like classics to you in your time now. I bet those PlayStation games must blow the ones I know out of the water,) he reflected enviously.

(They are incredibly cool, with amazing graphics and 3-D environments,) Zane agreed in confirmation. (But yours still have a special place in our hearts too. Will still loves playing the original Final Fantasy, and I-)

(And the lightning came out of him at our school,) Patience noted. (From _his_ hands.)

Zane suddenly seemed sheepish. (I'm not hinting that this is Will's doing or anything, that the machine picked up on his thoughts or something. No way. That's just bonkers.)

(The machine responds to deep-rooted needs, as far as we can tell,) Mr. London pointed out.

(You should know,) Patience growled at him accusingly. (You set it off.)

* * *

 **Muldoon**

Back in his human body, Muldoon was very solidly built and strong.

So was the body of the armor shielded dino his awareness was stuck in-Sauropelta, that daft science teacher called it?-, he understood on both an academic and visceral level as he trod along hippo fashion. Its muscles were extremely dense and powerful, and he knew that the creature's body was close to a black rhino's in mass.

Still, he felt rather like a walking coffee table, and like a dwarf compared to Zane, Patience, and Wu. His back only reached up to a man's chest-but Patience's was slightly higher than a bull elephant's! Her tail alone was close to five meters long.

Indeed, she could probably grab his own tail (He still had yet to get used to the mad concept of it) with those fearsomely clawed hands and effortlessly fling him through the air in a hammer throw if she so chose.

It was an odd reversal to find himself in. He wondered idly if Napoleon would've been able to relate.

Other companions were more his new body's size, and a lot easier to make eye contact with. Like a certain Hypsilophodon inhabited by a bloody fool of a biology teacher who couldn't keep from sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

 _He gives Hammond a good run in the being a delusional moron Olympics_ , Muldoon thought.

(Well, all I know is that _my_ personal deep-rooted needs certainly have no connection to being stuck here in a damned dino's body in any conceivable way,) Muldoon growled, grinding his Sauropelta teeth in a show of anger.

(Same goes for me,) Nedry hissed unhappily.

(Unless…unless your love for and obsession with the book featuring us as characters somehow subconsciously caused us to be drawn in,) Wu thoughtfully speculated as he regarded London.

The teacher lowered his beaked head and shuddered with shame and guilt. (Right now, it doesn't matter who's to blame here or exactly why the machine 'picked' us. We have to stay focused on the big picture.)

(Fair enough,) Muldoon agreed, his anger cooling. (Where should we even start looking for this amber key?)

(Well,) London began even as he took a few bites of leaves, (I've read that specimens of amber dated to the Triassic have been found in Utah. The geologic history of Texas, however, is muddled and incomplete because sediments were moved by the influx and receding of the sea. It's possible that-)

(Why not a conifer forest!) Zane cut in. (Since they produce the resin, there's got to be some around fossilized as amber too.)

(Not necessarily,) Wu corrected. (As with all fossil materials, it takes tens of thousands of years for resin to be transformed into amber, by which time the forests that produced the resin will most likely be long vanished. Good thinking on your part though,) he added in encouragement.

Muldoon could just see Patience cock her head and narrow her eyes, as if she just couldn't credit Zane with saying such a smart thing.

He suddenly seemed self-conscious. Well, as much as a sauropod with no facial muscles to speak of could look self-conscious. (My mom's an arborist,) he explained. (She tends trees. And-through shop talk. I hear and pick up on things.)

(I see,) Patience said, with what seemed to Muldoon like thinly veiled surprise.

(Anyway,) Wu said as he raised a hind foot to gently itch behind his right shoulder, (this amber would've been buried by sediment and left undisturbed for millions of years.)

(But I don't think we can be expected to find it by digging or exploring caves,) Zane said as he glanced at the geneticist.

(Why not?) Nedry asked. (Bilbo got his hands on the Ring of Power by tricking Gollum when he encountered him deep inside the goblin caves, and Smeagol himself found it at the bottom of a river. My pprreeccciiioouuusss,) he hissed playfully.

(I always enjoy the riddle game they played,) Wu commented.

(A pretty high stakes one for Bilbo, that,) Muldoon said.

(That's not the impression I got from Bertram,) Zane said, shaking his head impossibly far above them. (He would've told us.)

(You sure about that?) Nedry asked, skeptically cocking his bird head. (When he spoke to us three, he came across as just a bit rushed. How do you know it didn't slip his mind?)

(I don't,) Zane admitted. (But I have a feeling that it's the opposite of Bilbo's ring, one of those things that's hidden in plain sight, maybe so plain we'd pass right by it unless we were paying attention.)

(A feeling,) Nedry said scornfully. (I don't go by feelings.)

But Muldoon was more thoughtful. (That does make a sort of sense,) he mused.

Runt meanwhile, began sneaking up on London, evidently preparing for a bluff charge like Muldoon had often seen elephant calves do with buffalo, wildebeest, and other animals for a bit of fun.

But Zane had noticed, and wasn't having it, whipping his tail.

A sound like a tree splitting!

London, Nedry, and Harriet all ran in different directions. Muldoon pressed himself against the ground. Wu and Patience both recoiled, fighting the instinct to bolt. Runt stopped, raised his head in an almost defiant manner, and sulkily stalked off to investigate a stone.

Nothing scares that little sod, Muldoon thought, impressed. Not even Patience. London, Nedry, and Harriet all drifted back to the group, feather crests erect. Like Muldoon, they were quivering, eyes wide.

(Jesus, warn us before you make that noise again, please!) Nedry ululated.

Shaking his long head, Muldoon took a deep breath as he stood back up, collecting his thoughts. (That was a shock,) he muttered. (Anyway,) he addressed Zane, (since you're the giraffe of our dinosaur cavalcade, why not see if you can see any likely places for amber now?)

(Sure thing.)

Climbing to the top of a hill and standing to his full height, Zane began to rotate his head slowly on his banded neck, a fifteen-ton living crane peering intently at any feature in the landscape that could provide a clue, tip him off to the possible location of this mystical-sounding amber key they all needed to get home.

Suddenly he stopped, his gaze becoming more intense as he turned his elephantine body in that direction.

(See anything?) Nedry asked hopefully.

(I think I see some sort of streak or gash in the ground to the south,) he said uncertainly after a few minutes. (But I need a bit more height to be sure. Let me try something.) His Astrodon body sank back on its haunches, and in an incredible display of power and finesse, the upper half of his body rose into the air.

(Amazing,) said Wu.

Zane's neck rose up, his wrists and forefeet hanging limply in the air like those of a trained elephant as his weight came to rest on his hind legs and tail in a tripod fashion.

(Yes!) he said in confirmation. (I can see a gorge, several miles away.)

(Water erosion!) London chittered as he jumped into the air. (A permanent or seasonal watercourse cutting deep through the rock. That may well reveal a deposit of amber. Great thinking!)

(Yeah,) Patience agreed.

The deed done, Zane's astrodon body was trembling in its rampart position. (Um, how do I get down?)

(Relax your shoulders,) Muldoon told him. (Shift your center of gravity forward gently as you come down, and move your weight back onto your front legs.)

(Basically, think of how elephants at the circus do it,) Patience said.

Zane slowly leaned forward, but when his tall front legs touched the ground, they slipped out from under him in the mud, causing him to lose his balance.

(Oh no,) Wu whispered.

(AHHHHH!) he cried as he came down on his non-injured side, the enormous bulk of his body slamming hard enough to send shock waves through the ground.

WHUMPH!

The impact send Muldoon sliding down the hill as he instinctively pressed himself against the ground, his left eye briefly catching Wu with all four legs splayed as he gave a groaning bellow of alarm. Patience fell on her side too, joining him at the bottom of the hill in an awkward heap twenty yards away as Zane's head finally whiplashed into the dirt.

(Ow!) he wailed. (I know I just cracked some teeth there!)

(Patience!) Wu cried from halfway up the slope. (Are you okay?)

(I'm fine. Well, as fine as you can be when you've just fallen down a hill,) she grumbled in annoyance.

(Nothing's broken? That fall looked rather nasty.)

(Henry. I'm okay. Don't obsess over it.)

They all picked themselves up and proceeded to head west, Zane in the lead.

* * *

 **Patience**

As they headed south, Zane began to babble on about video games, comedians, and retro TV shows, mostly with Mr. London and Nedry. Patience seldom played video games, and watched the tube even less. Well, that wasn't entirely true. In the middle of the night, when the Mushnicks and their six-year-old son Jeff were asleep, she would sneak downstairs to the smelly basement with its TV and play the tapes her Hispanic friend Holiday would send her, watching the moves of the basketball greats with at least one of her cats for company. Michael Jordan. Pippen. Kareem. Rodman. Shaq.

She'd met Holiday last summer, after Marcus, her very good friend in seventh grade, had been badly hurt. She and Mark had been on the track team together, a perfect pair, and they both loved running. But then Mark had taken up pole vaulting too.

For the first month and a half, everything had gone great for him. But then one day, something went wrong. The sand was wet that day from rain, and perhaps that was the reason why when Mark's body arced over the beam, he landed a foot short of the pad. The clumsy landing dislocated his right thigh and partly tore a large muscle. Ligaments in his right knee had been torn as well, with the kneecap badly fractured from hitting the ground.

He would never run competitively again-he was _still_ having physical therapy just to walk on his own once more, for that matter-and for Patience, showing up for track and being reminded afresh every day of the partner she'd lost was more than she could bear. Besides, she couldn't help but uneasily worry that the same thing might happen to her as well. So she dropped out.

Holiday and his pals had recently graduated from high school, but they still loved to shoot baskets on Wetherford High's court after classes. She'd met them there, and idly begun to throw a ball into an undefended hoop, just killing some time. Throwing it and going through the motions with a finesse that surprised even her.

Then she'd heard Holiday laughing in approval from among his friends.

"See that gangly girl? Damn she's good! She can take you. She can take and run rings around any of you!" he'd vicariously boasted.

It had been a respectful, thinly veiled challenge, a demand to see more from her. Patience had never really cared for hoops. But she never backed away from a challenge.

One of Holiday's pals, Ed, managed to get the ball away from her. He didn't keep it long. "Ow! Can someone let Lola know that basketball is not a contact sport?!"

"It is the way _she_ plays it," Holiday said in admiration. He then properly introduced himself, grinning as he ebulliently told her he was called Holiday, because with him, that's what every day was! She soon discovered his boast to be true.

It was a great summer with Holiday and his crew, one that ended far too soon. Holiday, who was actually named Kris, had enlisted in the military. But even after he'd begun his basic training and service, he kept in contact by e-mail and sent her tapes to study from the best.

"You really can't expect much of a successful life if you don't have a college degree," he'd written her. "Trouble is, that education has a steep price tag. I'm in the military so I can get mine with less hassle. But if you can start showing your prowess at hoops or any other type of athletics early on, those colleges will be lining up to offer you scholarships. And that's a way out. So think about it."

Ironically, she was then torn out of doing just that as their group came to a flat, stony plateau cut in half by a narrow gorge, the edge of which they carefully approached. It was about sixteen feet wide, and Patience estimated it to be sixty-five feet deep. Lichens, moss, and even a scattering of ferns grew in large clumps on its rugged stone walls.

At the bottom, a large, fast-flowing stream ran brown over broken stone and gravel. A quarter mile downstream, the terrain suddenly dropped a good thirty feet, and Patience could hear the stream pouring over the edge as a waterfall, spray rising to mix with the rain.

(Not a lot of trees,) she said as they all began to look around for any clues.

(Remember, five million years ago, this place could well have been a forest,) said Mr. London. (And later on, this will all be beneath the sea. Everything changes, given time, in its slow, stately way.)

(Split up everyone,) Muldoon directed. (But keep close enough together so that if any of you get into trouble, we can get you out of it. And above all, stay aware of your dinosaur body's size and limitations when near the gorge-especially if you're a heavyweight,) he added as he glanced up at Patience.

As she set to work, she wondered if her teacher's comment could be true of people. As she used her vision and smell to scan the gorge's walls, she puzzled about Zane's strange behavior earlier.

She'd truly been impressed by his clear thinking, but confused by his embarrassment about coming up with what even Wu said was a good idea. And she knew for a fact that his mother did not work in a nursery or as a tree surgeon. Betty was a secretary, currently studying to become a paralegal.

Patience couldn't understand why Zane would go and lie about a thing like that, but she couldn't think of a reason to call him out on it, either.

Suddenly she heard Nedry's head-voice ring out from downstream, very near the waterfall.

(No way!) he shouted incredulously. (You've got to be _kidding_ me! It can't be _**that**_ easy!)

(What?!) Wu shouted in turn from upstream. (What did you find?)

(I know you guys won't believe this, but-I'd bet my right leg that I just discovered the amber key!)

* * *

 **See, Nedry's good for something!**

 **And please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Nedry**

The rain had lightened somewhat since they'd first arrived here, but Nedry still shook himself again as he carefully made his way along the north edge of the gorge, stepping lightly as his huge new eyes scanned up and down the opposite wall, looking up and down for any yellowish glint, a deep crevice that might hold that mystical amber key. It sounded like something from the movie The Dark Crystal, for Christ's sake. He wondered if like Jen, they had to use it to repair, to "heal," a larger precious stone or gem. Nothing was an impossibility back here anymore, frankly.

Lord knew his romantic pursuer looked creepily like one of the movie's hideous, vulturine Skeksis. The resemblance was especially heightened by that always thrust-forward, bobbing head, twinkling eyes, long, craggy clawed fingers, and the protruding teeth that filled her mouth. _To be fair though_ , Nedry thought, _I'm not exactly a beauty contest winner in this other prehistoric turkey's body myself,_ as he paused to regard his own claw-tipped witch hands at the ends of his wing-arms.

During the last forty minutes or so, Harriet had suddenly started to become a lot tenser, nervously scanning their surroundings more often, breaking off from her annoying behavior of following him like some dog to trot a few hundred yards in the opposite direction at a quick clip until stopping. Looking back over her shoulder, she'd then utter several urgent scraping clucks at her mate as she bounced about on her feet. An obvious "Come here, we've both gone too far," call.

At one point, she'd parked herself solidly in place and refused to move, insistently and repeatedly calling for him. Her grating clucks had soon receded behind them, and for a grateful few minutes Nedry had thought he was rid of the stupid turkey at last.

But then there'd been a now too familiar sound of light footsteps, and a rustling coming up behind them through the ferns. Just like her TV namesake, Harriet couldn't stay away from him.

If evolution had given Nedry's troodontid body complex facial muscles, he would've scowled in exasperated disgust. As it was, he hung his head and clenched his eyes shut, simply saying, (Oh goddamn it. I knew this was too much to ask for.)

He knew exactly why Harriet had become so tense. His other set of instincts and experience, the troodontid's, uneasily babbled at him that he'd crossed the border of the pair's territory, something it would only do in times of desperate famine. There were no more of their scent marks of ownership, and they were deep in someone else's territory now. If they were detected and caught by the resident pair, there would be hell to pay…

Nedry shook his head dismissively. He wasn't concerned about a couple cantankerous prehistoric turkeys. Not with the others to provide abundant backup and a leg to hide behind. And Harriet could take care of herself.

Every four dozen feet or so, he walked to the edge of the chasm and squatted birdlike down on his shins, grasping the edge of the cliff with his hands as he extended his neck and performed a visual sweep of both the near wall and the stream below before carefully backing away and standing up to continue with what he felt inside was a fool's errand. His body might now only weigh about forty-something pounds, far less than his human one-but it was still just as vulnerable to taking a fall.

As he made his way along the gorge's edge, Nedry wondered morosely, uneasily what his fate would be if they found this amber key, and used it to get back home at Ground Zero. If it turned out that it was one of those sci-fi scenarios where he, Rob, and Muldoon would be sent back to Jurassic Park at the same instant they'd been struck by the lightning, he could rest a bit and then take up where he'd left off with his impending plan to steal the priceless embryos for Dodgson.

If they got back and it turned out they'd been gone for the same length of time they were back here in the past, though…it would be a major bust, and Nedry would have to go through the hassle of setting up a second, highly risky under-the-radar appointment with Dodgson's lackey at a later date.

His dark mood wasn't helped by his increasing hunger. He hadn't eaten a thing since arriving here, and the troodontid's stomach was sending him a steady, swelling message of discomfort and tightness.

A few yards to his right, Harriet suddenly darted forward and dropped to her backward-facing knees in excitement, clawing like a dog at a burrow in the compacted soil under a scraggly conifer bush with her trident hands. A fist sized trapdoor spider, red-orange in color, desperately scuttled out, seeking escape.

Harriet flung out one of her hands and pitchforked it, waiting a few seconds for its struggles to weaken before tearing it from her hand claws and swallowing the oozing arachnid body with a sickening relish. Nedry could only stare and shudder in pure revulsion. He despised spiders, to say nothing of the idea of eating them.

 _God, no way_ , he thought, sickened. _I am not eating bugs for dinner, no way in hell. I'd rather starve than ever do that,_ he firmly told himself, even as Harriet then dug a large scorpion out from under a log and attacked it, expertly nipping off the curved stinger. But the cool, rational part of his mind reminded him that he needed to eat something eventually. What could he stand to choke down though?

He remembered that London had said something about speculation that the prehistoric turkeys were able to eat plants as well as meat. But none of the vegetation really appealed to his senses.

Nedry was now drawing quite close to the bluff over which the large stream in its gorge suddenly plunged a good seventy feet. The end of the first gorge spread out to a width of thirty-five feet, a layer of dense igneous rock forming a seven foot lip over the softer stone that had been eroded away underneath, causing the water to spill over in a broad, sheeting veil that Nedry found quite pleasing to the eye.

If there were any caves or crevices behind or next to the falling water that might contain amber though, he couldn't see them from up here. He'd have to circle around the corner of the steep, five hundred foot wide bluff to sloping ground, then back to the lower gorge.

Glancing over his shoulder, he telepathically told Muldoon, (I'm going down around the bluff to check the lower gorge, okay?)

(Sure,) Muldoon replied. (Just keep alert.) As he turned away from the waterfall, Nedry idly wondered how congenial the head ranger would currently be with him right now if he knew about his plans for industrial sabotage.

When he'd already paced off a curving path of several dozen yards, his Troodont nose suddenly caught an enticing odor from ten feet off his right shoulder. From underground. And this one was plant based.

 _Dig-Succulent-Tasty-Rich_ , his dino mind urged in excited anticipation. _What the hell,_ Nedry mentally shrugged as he trotted to the spot it was coming from. Why not?

A scraggly, spoon-leafed plant grew from the soil, only eighteen inches tall. Digging with his hands and feet, Nedry soon excavated a football sized tuber that looked something like a blocky yam.

Nedry hooked it out with his hand claws and then proceeded to rinse the soil from it in a nearby puddle before taking a careful bite.

(Wow! This is good!) he commented in surprise. It was rich and starchy, sweet to the taste and moist. Nedry happily took bites out of it as he made his way around the bluff, clutching it in his hands.

As he rounded the corner of the bluff, he abruptly saw a herd of about forty large dinosaurs, and recoiled briefly-but then relaxed as he recognized them.

Measuring five to twenty-three feet from their bronze brown beaks to the tips of their long whips of tails, they'd been seeing herds of these dinosaurs all the time as the afternoon wore on. According to the incapable of shutting up Mr. London, freely sharing information whether it was requested or not, they were known as Tenontosaurus.

The herbivores had an amazingly beautiful color scheme, Nedry thought as he approached them. The heads of the larger animals had a reticulated pattern of chocolate brown patches and white borders, like a giraffe's. Their necks were circled by two black collars, with a white ring between them, and the throat a vivid citron. The rest of their bodies were a stunning dark turquoise in color, with several blotches of maroon on their flanks. Broken bands of lemon yellow and white stipples circled their torsos to the hips. The front portion of each lengthy tail was teal green, the rear half banded with gray and dark orange and white.

The younger animals were a green-brown in color with dark green and cream blotches, and stayed close to the adults. He noted with interest that just like London's Hypsilophodon body, they were completely covered in a coat of stiff, hair-like feathers, while the adults only had a feather coat on their torsos. Five Iguanodon bulls peacefully cropped plants among their smaller cousins.

Still holding his tuber, Nedry briefly hesitated, holding up a foot. The largest of the Tenontosaurs looked to weigh around a ton and a half to a ton and three-quarters. Intimidatingly huge and imposing, even for a person. But they were also clearly herbivores, and his dino mind wasn't concerned by them in the least. So he strode in among the herd, the larger dinosaurs giving him and Harriet no more than a glance with their great pale blue goat eyes or a thoughtful snort before ignoring them.

He cleared the herd and trotted to the bottom of the bluff, where the waterfall splashed into a second gorge. After spending a few minutes admiring its beauty while he finished the tuber, Nedry licked his hands clean, then began to inspect the mist-slick rock behind and beside the cascade.

Then he saw it. A sort of alcove under the lip of stone, about the size and shape of a trash can. At its back, something embedded in the rock that shone golden, slick with the spray that constantly drifted inside.

An incredulous, ecstatic thrill swept through Nedry at the sight as he comprehended.

(No way!) he shouted in amazement, his dinosaur jaw dropping as Harriet looked at him in surprised befuddlement. (You've got to be _kidding_ me! It can't be _**that**_ easy!)

(What?!) he heard Wu "shout" in turn from upstream. (What did you find?)

(I know you guys won't believe this, but-I'd bet my right leg that I just discovered the amber key!)

(Really?! That's great Nedry!) Muldoon congratulated.

(Way to go!) said Zane.

(Good work! We're coming right over Dennis,) Wu said.

As the others appeared in view, coming around the corner of the bluff, the Tenontosaur herd went spastic at the sight and smell of Patience, calling out with slide trombone groans and bunching together before wheeling and stampeding off through the rain, trampling plants underfoot as they ran on their hind legs. The five Iguanodon bulls did the same, rumbling and bunching together, none of the herbivores stopping until they were a mile and a half away.

Nedry noted Wu watching them in his own Iguanodon body with intense interest, obviously taking mental notes. Then he dropped back to all fours and strode over with the rest of the group to join the troodonts at the cascade, a blimp compared to a helicopter. It made Nedry sulkily wish once more that he could've been the Iguanodon or Acrocanth. Yeah, especially the acro.

(There,) he told them, gesturing with a plumed arm. (Inside that little cave.)

Ever mindful of his great weight, Wu gingerly walked to where Nedry was standing and laid down, peering intently at the recess in the stone with his long camel head cocked.

(Yes,) he confirmed in pleasure. (That's a big piece of amber back in there. Hopefully it's what we've been looking for.)

(Good show Nedry,) Muldoon said, waving his bony tail as Wu drew back.

(It's not in the most convenient spot to be reached though,) Patience grunted. (There's only a seven, eight foot gap between it and the falling water, and that stone is pretty slippery.)

(We need to get to it fairly quick, however we're going to manage it,) Muldoon said. (It'll be dark soon.)

(Maybe one of us heavyweight dinos could stretch our necks into the gap,) Zane suggested, (and then either Mr. London or Nedry could "walk the plank" to reach the amber.)

(Um, how about Mr. London does that?) Nedry said.

(What! Have you _lost it_?) Patience asked Zane. (That's a fifty foot drop into either churning water or onto rocks! Are you _seriously_ saying that someone should climb on someone else's head and then-)

(Do you want to have to wait around all night?) Mr. London asked.

(Especially when time is of the essence,) Muldoon added.

(Of course not,) she sighed.

(It's dangerous,) Wu agreed, (but if one of us could make a safety tether for whoever's going to do it, the risk of a fall should be minimal.)

(Well, great,) Nedry replied sarcastically. (As long as the risk of Mr. London or I falling to our deaths is _minimal_. That makes me feel so much better.)

(You'd better go find some long roots or vine and get started making a tether,) London told Patience.

The Acro lightly showed her teeth, her quills rising as she turned away. It was plain as day to Nedry that like him, she had little tolerance for being ordered around.

Soon enough, Patience and Wu, working together, had dug out and exposed a length of thin, but strong conifer root as London watched them. Patience cocked her enormous grim predator head, then severed the root in two places with a hooked hand claw. London then grabbed one end of the twelve foot length of root in his powerful beak, and dragged it back to the gorge.

With his long telephone pole of a neck, Zane was the self-evident best choice for their living cherry picker. Now it was time to choose who'd be using it, Nedry or Mr. London.

To the programmer's dismay, they chose him. Terrified by the idea, he protested against it.

(No. I am not entrusting my life to a scraggly piece of root. No way on earth,) he told them, backing away. (Get him to do it instead,) he pleaded, gesturing to London. (He has the five-fingered hands here. And your body can jump pretty well, I know that for a fact.)

(Yes, it can,) London agreed. (But you have longer, sharper claws that can be used like climbing crampons to secure a better grip on the slick rock Dennis, and longer arms to reach inside. And your extraordinary plumed arms could potentially be used to provide an assist by gliding.)

(Besides, you're the one who discovered it,) Patience commented. (Why not impress everyone by being the one to snatch it for us too?) An obvious appeal to his ego.

Going back over to the cliff edge, Nedry felt his body tremble as he laconically replied, (I'm less concerned with impressing everyone than I am with dying.)

(You're not going to die,) London assured him. (This root can support your body weight easily, and I'll tie it very securely around both you and Zane's neck so that there'll be no chance of falling.)

(It's always after someone says that sort of thing that a terrible accident happens,) Nedry said pessimistically.

(Well you have to,) Muldoon urged. (Everyone's waiting for you. So buckle down and do it.)

(Okay,) Nedry sighed in defeat. (Looks like I have no choice here.)

Soon he found himself grasping Zane's triangular banded neck with his arms and legs, feeling the short, blunt iguana spikes on the sauropod's neck pressing against his belly and the pressure of the hip harness London had made for him from one end of the conifer root against his flesh.

Zane had the other end tied around his lower jaw, gently biting down on it for added security as he carefully shuffled forward on his elbows like a trained circus camel, his massive butt still raised in the air as the long neck slid out into space, Nedry clutching it like a terrified child and hoping for the best.

As Zane's head got closer to the waterfall, spray covered both of them, forcing Nedry to shake his head and blink that creepy, milky nictitating membrane over his eyes in a sideways motion to wipe them, in the same manner that owls would later blink theirs as they waited for just the right moment to plunge down on an unsuspecting mouse.

(Okay, this is as close as I can safely get you,) Zane told him. (You'll have to jump for it.)

(Yeah,) Nedry said unhappily. He could see that now the alcove was just six feet away from Zane's lips. To him, it seemed like the Grand Canyon. But there was no choice. This was their ticket back home, to everything they knew and that was sane.

Fighting his fear, Nedry shakily stood up and picked his way down Zane's neck, gently grasping with the toes of his feet as he moved sideways like a crab until he was standing on the astro's broad shovel of a muzzle. He could think of a dozen different things he'd rather have been doing at that moment.

(This is just like one of the adventures in the Land Before Time, isn't it?) he asked Zane nervously.

(Exactly like one,) Zane agreed. (Terrible danger and all,) he gulped.

(Remember, use your arms to glide and your claws to hook onto the rock!) London called from behind him. (Your body is built for leaping and climbing!)

(You can do this Dennis!) Wu encouraged.

Even Harriet gave a sort of hopeful croak, as if also spurring him on.

 _Here goes nothing,_ Nedry thought as he crouched and gathered his powerful legs underneath him. _I can't chicken out now._

(Jesus bless my little broken body!) he squealed desperately as he extended his arms out to the sides-and pushed off into space.

* * *

 **Patience**

Nedry was the most despicable of all the characters in Jurassic Park, Patience knew. A traitor. A thief. A selfish slob.

But for all that, her heart was still in her throat as she watched him leap into the misty air like some bizarre eagle, gliding for the crevice.

(Oh man, all this spray is playing ha-ha-havoc with my nos-nost-) Zane suddenly said as he began to pant helplessly.

(Don't-) Muldoon began.

Too late.

A sound like a cross between a whale spouting and a pig grunting as Zane sneezed! Nasty clear and banana yellow mucus sprayed from his nostrils. His great body jerked, and sent Nedry, who'd just grabbed the bottom lip of the alcove with his hand claws, falling into the gorge!

Patience could only gaze helplessly as the feathered theropod plummeted, squealing as he dropped nine, ten feet.

( _No_!) he shouted. Then the safety tether caught him, jerking Nedry to a stop.

(Thank God,) he said in shaky relief as he dangled under Zane's jaw, swinging back and forth like a pendulum as his body faced downward at a 45 degree angle. Looking as sheepish as his stone faced visage could look, Zane lifted his head up and backed up. When his head got close to the cliff, Nedry swung forward and grabbed the stone with all hands and feet, Patience hearing them click against the rock as he climbed back up over the edge.

(See?) he told them in agitation. (This won't work!)

(Yes it will,) Muldoon insisted. (You just have to get back on the horse and try again.)

(You okay Dennis?) Wu asked.

(Considering, yeah,) Nedry replied as he shook himself. (That fall was totally terrifying, but the rest of it was oddly exhilarating, like something out of an adventure story.)

(I used to read those,) Mr. London reminisced. (I loved them so. And now-)

(Ah-hem,) Patience cut in neutrally with a forceful snort. (We're wasting time. Take two everyone.)

Mr. London nodded, and inspected Nedry's hip harness before the troodontid got back in the saddle.

Once more, Zane got down on his chest and elbows and got Nedry as close to the alcove as he safely could.

(Here goes nothing.)

Once more, Nedry leapt from the muzzle. This time, he landed two feet beneath the bottom edge of the chamber, climbing up the wet rock and then pulling himself as everyone cheered. Except for Patience. She knew that it wasn't over until the amber was in hand. But it was a great start.

Nedry's lithe muscles coiled as he worked to pry the amber out of the rock with his hand claws.

Patience then heard thumps behind her and turned to see Runt rushing Zane's flank!

 _Oh no. He thinks it's all a weird game-he's going to ram or kick Zane!_

She opened her mouth to give a warning and scare Runt at the same time.

There was a scraping POP! at that moment then, and the precious piece of amber was free in Nedry's taloned hands.

(Whoo! I've got it! Got our ticket home baby!) he yelled jubilantly.

Patience shut her mouth. She knew how easily both Zane and his sauropod body could be startled, and she didn't dare risk making him jerk. If Nedry fell again, he could drop the all-important amber.

Muldoon thankfully intervened at that point, jogging forward and getting between Runt and his big brother. One look at those spikes caused Runt to draw up short, look around vapidly like he hadn't been planning any mischief, and lope off in another direction.

Looking at Zane's granite wall of a flank, she saw that the astro was trembling. It came to her that he wasn't ill, but deeply frightened.

(Okay, here we go,) Zane said with a forced joviality. (It's time for you to jump back onto my face Nedry, and then I'll back it up, nice and smooth. Nothing wrong here. Yeah…)

(Have you been reading _Cujo_ by any chance?) Nedry said in puzzlement, already standing at the edge of the little cave, cocking his bird head. (Cause that's what the Sharp Cereal Professor says in that book.)

(Zane?) Patience said quietly. (Is something wrong?)

(If you need to sneeze again, that's fine,) Nedry said as he shook his feathers. (I'll be patient.)

(I ever mention I have a fear of heights?) Zane said thinly.

(Oh, seriously?!) Nedry cried.

(You're handling it quite well then,) Muldoon encouraged from beside him. (Remarkably well.)

 _Yeah, you have a fear of everything_ , Patience scornfully thought. But she kept her mouth shut.

At the back of his snaggle toothed mouth, Nedry clutched a lumpy strip of amber, roughly twice the length of a banana and gently curved at the thicker end. It formed a somewhat carrot like spike, but with a blunter end, and she estimated it to on average, be about as thick around as a large dog's leg. Three vaguely rectangular two-inch long protrusions jutted out from one edge. It truly did look very much like a key.

Zane's head was bobbing and weaving as he fought his fear.

(For Pete's sake, don't pull this on me now!) Nedry screeched desperately. (At least hold off on going to pieces until I'm back on your face!)

(Close your eyes,) Patience snapped. (Get it together.)

(Think of something pleasant,) Wu suggested in a slightly harried tone. (Music, birds, flowers.)

(I'm trying,) Zane whimpered.

(Do it!) she commanded.

He did so, the muscles in his shoulders and neck continuing to quiver as Nedry took another leap of faith, flinging out his arms and legs. To Patience's-to everyone's-relief, he stuck the landing, grabbing Zane's nasal crest with his hands.

(Ow!) Zane cried, head twitching. (Those claws are sharp!)

Patience came forward, putting her shoulder against his side and beginning to shove at an angle. (Well he got the job done, didn't he? Now back up!) she ordered.

(But what-if it-ma-makes-me-)

(You're doing just fine,) Muldoon coached.

Patience was less tolerant. She did the only thing that made sense to her. She stepped back and kicked him. (Get up, you wuss!) she literally snarled.

(For the love of God Patience!) Wu shouted in shock. (There was no need to-)

(Ow!) Zane said, head snapping up sharply.

(Wahhhh!) Nedry shouted-screeched, holding on.

(Come on, keep moving,) she grunted as Wu grasped Zane's tail and began to gently pull backward.

Zane managed to raise himself into a crouch, then backed up. In seconds, he was completely over solid ground once more. And once more he squatted as Wu, shooting Patience what seemed like a disapproving glance, went over to his head and carefully used a thumb spike to sever the loop wrapped around Zane's lower jaw.

Nedry scurried down the long neck, then easily jumped to the ground, running fifty feet before leaping onto a stumpy termite mound and spreading out his plumed arms, lifting them in a sort of victory salute.

(Whoo!) he cried. (I did it! Amber key level completed!) he boasted.

Zane stood back up-and then, suddenly, the nervous tension overwhelmed him. He dropped back onto his uninjured flank.

The impact shook the ground and once more, toppled Patience. _Oh God, not this shit again_ , she thought. Nedry sunk his foot claws into the mound's hard clay, windmilling for balance. Rubble fell into the gorge. Zane moaned.

Patience rolled over and got back to her feet, quills bristling. She walked around Zane's enormous body, stepped over his tail, and walked the length of him to stand near his head.

(He couldn't help it Patience,) Wu said in his defense. (You never know when-)

She cut the geneticist off, ignoring him as she spoke.

(What was that all about?) she asked. (A while ago you went to the top of a steep hill, and reared up to see what you could see.)

(The bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain…) Nedry idly sang.

(You didn't spaz out then. Care to explain that?)

Zane had had the wind knocked out of him, and his breath was raspy, tearing as he moaned, (I meant to do that,) he lied. (Had solid ground underneath. No worries about something giving way. Nobody's safety to worry about. Owww. Neck sore. Chest feels all filled with steel wool.)

(Are you all right?) Mr. London asked in grave concern. (You've already been hurt once-)

(I'll be fine,) Zane wheezed. (Give me a few. Nothing's broke.) His large eyes slid open then, and he raised his tree-trunk neck to look at Patience better, teeth seeming to form a smile. (Denny and Zany got the amber key though. Shows I'm not totally useless.)

She had to admit that was true. ( _Almost_ totally useless, but not completely.) But she said it good-naturedly. She glanced at Wu, wondering if he'd heard. But his attention was completely focused on the piece of amber.

(Wow,) he said in impressed awe. (I've seen and handled quite a few pieces of amber since I began working for John, some rather large. But never have I seen or even heard of a giant like that.)

The blackness of night was now coming down like a lid. The rain had slowed to patchy showers, and a few stars could already be seen though the gaps in the clouds.

Nedry now had switched the piece of amber to his hands, and making the long trek around Zane's recumbent body with a curious Harriet in tow, he held up the key to her, motioning to squat down. (Touch it,) he breathed out in soft wonder.

(Why exactly?)

Nedry shook his scarlet-plumed head. (I just can't describe it. All I can say is that it truly does feel magical. You should see- _feel_ -for yourself.)

Puzzled, Patience sat down on her forward-facing pubic bone, bird like, and took the piece of amber between the fingers of one wickedly clawed hand. At first she felt nothing special. It was small, rough, and brittle. Her heart began to sink as she began to wonder if this was even the actual key at all.

Then her eyes widened as she perceived, was flooded by, a sensation. One unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Comforting. Warm. Half-familiar. A pleasant electrical charge surged through her, and she shut her eyes for a few moments in bliss.

(It really does feel like something from _The Legend of Zelda_ ,) Nedry said. (No, wait,) he amended. (More than just that. It feels like where we belong. Like _home_ ,) he finished, voice infused with disbelief and wonder.

Patience's eyes snapped open. And she _dropped the key_. Nedry gave a knifing screech, flinging out his arms as Harriet leapt in the air at the sound and everyone else gasped in helpless fear, catching it before it hit the ground.

(What the hell Patience?) he cried as he incredulously stared daggers at her. (I went to a lot of trouble to get this, and then you just drop it?)

(Christ,) Muldoon shakily breathed out. (That was too damn much like that scene in Cinderella.)

(Yeah!) barked Nedry. (And unlike the glass slipper, we don't have a backup key if someone turns out to have butter fingers-and I don't mean the candy bar!)

(Then _you_ lug it around!) she shot back.

( _My pleasure_.)

She imperiously turned her attention away from the fuming turkey, and met Wu's gaze. He said nothing, glancing at her, the piece of amber, then back to her. She thought briefly then of how he'd helped her dig out the root under the conifer tree. The soil had been hard, but he hadn't complained at all. And then she remembered how he'd spoken in Zane's defense when he'd collapsed from nerves, and reacted before that with outrage when she'd kicked him. In the novel and the movie, he was a very studious, coolly intellectual and professorial type of guy.

But here…well, his actions reminded her in some ways, of like-like a dad's.

She tore her gaze away from him to look up at the stars, thinking of the emanation from the key and what Nedry had said. That wasn't what home felt like to her. Or a dad, for that matter. Except, sometimes…in her dreams.

* * *

 **Hope you're all enjoying this fic. If you are, please give something back by reviewing!**


	8. Chapter 8

**And now for Chapter Eight! This chapter of the crossover naturally focuses solely on our homing beacon, Will, all by his lonesome at Ground Zero while he waits for the others to arrive. Doesn't mean he isn't having some adventures of his own though. Much of this chapter is taken directly from book #3: Raptor Without A Cause. However, even without the JP Boys to make things more interesting, I've made some changes myself. Maia and Cinderella for example, are OCs of mine, and I gave the raptor who sits across from Will the title of Queen Jadis instead of her canon one, The Ice Queen.**

 **The scene in which Will leads Binky away on a quick, down-low hunt is also entirely my creation.**

* * *

 **Will**

Night had fallen. Will Reilly sat on a hill overlooking the valley, tail partly wrapped around his lower body. A dim light shone down from the moon and stars, revealing the darting, leaping bodies of the Deinonychus pack as they engaged in a communal play session. They had reason to be in high spirits. The air was pleasantly cool, now that the sun had set. They'd found sufficient food, and had all managed to avoid a near-miss from a rockslide.

Big Guy didn't play with or acknowledge anyone-an alpha male's special prerogative. Instead, he sat upright and grimly brooded, never once shooting a glance at the rumpus, not even when three adolescents rushed past close by him. The one in the lead had a stick in its teeth, and the others were trying to grab it from it. His son, dubbed Junior by Will, was playing with an old, weathered bough. Everyone watched him for at least a few minutes as he clawed the wood, grabbed it in his teeth and bodily tossed it with a flick of the neck, tried to get it to balance on his shoulders, even performed moves as if he was trying to dance with it. A future pack leader was not to be ignored.

Will envied him, feeling his feathered hackles raise. Never before had he been to an event where he'd been outside looking in, feeling awkward as hell and wishing he could be with the others. He'd always been the center of attention. Not here.

He felt tired, alone, and scared. And in pain.

Carefully, gingerly, he extended his right pseudo-wing and turned his head to lick and groom his aching shoulder, bruised and punctured by tooth marks, the feathers there stiff from blood.

It had started when one of the raptors, whom Will had aptly given the moniker of Pea Brain, had brazenly stolen one of the rat like mammals from a third-grown chick. The chick had given a grating squeal, and its mother, whom Will thought of as Maia after the Greek word for mother, had gone after the thief like a dart. She'd tackled Pea Brain, and started kicking him, raking him with her foot claws as he'd blocked them with his own as best he could, reminding Will almost of a pair of weird eagles fighting over a salmon.

Her intent was to punish him, not maim or kill.

But Will knew that Big Guy had little time for any sort of fighting. Maybe stopping this one would make him look good to the leader.

Going up to the combatants, Will had tried to literally sweet-talk them out of it with his head voice, getting their attention, then starting to play mediator. A big mistake.

After just a few sentences to them about how Pea Brain was in the wrong, but Maia needed to tone her reactions down, his disturbing, unnatural thought-speech caused her four chicks to produce squeals of fear.

Maia had then given Will a terrible, burning, hateful glare, banging her sickle claws against the rock, and he knew in sudden horror that he'd screwed up on an epic level with her. With a growl and a bloodcurdling scream that seemed to touch the ultrasonic, she came for him as Will turned and ran for all he was worth. His Deinonychus body was powerful and swift. But in this case, not swift enough. And Maia had dealt him a savage bite, shoving him to the ground and stomping him thrice for good measure before leaving him to cower against the stone, quivering and terrified.

Then Big Guy had come over, coolly staring at Will just a yard away from where he lay on the ground before giving a scraping hiss and swiping the air twice with his sickle claw. The message had been clear.

 _If Maia there hadn't just torn into you already buddy, I'd be doing it for her myself!_

Will had truly thought she was going to kill him.

He couldn't find it in him to hold it against her though. All she'd done was be a responsible mother, protecting chicks that were crying in fear. His own mom would've done the same. At any rate, what was done was done.

He was out of ideas, and in two days he'd be out of time. His head and shoulder throbbed, his body ached, and even with his coat of soft feathers, he was cold. He knew he wouldn't feel the chill if he could be down there playing too or leaning against a packmate and enjoying himself.

But he also knew he wasn't welcome.

He shut his hawk eyes and tried to make any sort of contact with the others. He reached out to them, anxious to hear their thoughts, to feel what they were feeling. He desperately wanted to know if they were okay and were coming to help him.

No luck.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the trilling, playful raptor pack. They were all having fun. Each of them belonged. They were an extended family. He had nobody. If only Lance was around! Or Percy.

Even _Zane_.

No, _especially_ Zane. Will was certain that if he could at least laugh, things might not seem so bleak.

He stood and stretched. He'd never had a plan fail so miserably like this before. Not that he'd always gotten what he wanted of course, but he'd learned if he set his sights high enough, he'd still always achieve something worthwhile. The "still land among the stars" sort of thing. Will liked to be among the stars.

Not this time. He'd wanted to be in with Big Guy, one of the Knights of the Raptor Table. Instead, he'd screwed up so royally that he wasn't even allowed to walk through the castle gates.

He heard a movement downslope, near the base of the hill. It was Maia with her chicks, the young Deinonychus now tuckered out by their antics and ready for a nap. Her brood settled down together as Will nervously slipped behind a boulder and peered out carefully from behind it, wrapping their tails around them.

Maia crouched down as well, standing over the chicks and delicately lowering her body like a hen's into a brooding position, coiling her feathered tail in a half circle to keep them even warmer as they slept. Before going into a dozing state herself, she warily scanned in all directions for any sign of danger. Including uphill.

Will gasped in fear and tensely ducked back behind the boulder as she looked upslope right in his direction. Had she seen him? These raptor eyes had night vision two or three times better than a person's, and an amazing sense of smell.

But if Maia _had_ detected his presence, she evidently wasn't concerned. As Will cautiously dared to look out from behind the boulder again, she tucked her head into her shoulder plumes and went to sleep.

As calm and benign as she looked, he still shivered.

 _Well, Mr. Social Butterfly, if you're so scared of her after you two got off on the wrong foot, why not do something to get on her good side?_

Will knew just who would be speaking with that voice in this situation. His dad, Doug the Briefcase Man. And the man wasn't being harsh. He was correct. Even though it had been an innocent mistake on his part, he needed to "make it up" to Maia. But how?

He cocked his head and looked down at her. As he studied her from above, then the forms of the other raptors in the valley, he realized that she actually seemed a bit _thin_. She'd been skimping on her own nourishment to keep them healthy.

 _She'd appreciate a decent meal for once_ , Will thought with a weird type of pity. But where would he find it? And he'd need help to bring an animal of any size down, and/or haul at least part of it back to Maia.

But who'd be the right raptor for the job? One that could be counted on to obey him? One that wouldn't squeal to Big Guy? Then it came to Will, and he made a circuitous route down the hill, avoiding waking Maia or having any other pack members notice him until he was back in the valley, sticking to cover as he sniffed the breeze for a specific scent.

After a few minutes of tacking back and forth, he found and carefully followed it. Hopefully if Big Guy or any of the others noticed him, he'd be ignored, and his behavior interpreted as Will showing a greater degree of respect and normalcy at long last as he reintroduced himself to the team once more.

As Will slipped among a knot of short, juniper-type conifers, he then heard the sound of another raptor clawing a large log, just forty feet away.

 _Scritch. Scritch. Scritch._

Tensely, he turned to the right. And with relief, saw the very raptor he was looking for.

It was Binky, done with playtime and sharpening his hand claws on a great fallen log that had to be two feet thick. It looked like a tree that had died and had been standing upright for some time, but had just recently been uprooted.

Coming forward, Will said nothing, but only gave a slurred coo from his body's vocal cords, a peaceable and friendly greeting. Binky looked up in his direction.

Then, from behind a large, low boulder eighty feet behind Binky, so did Peabrain and another pack member Will had given the moniker of Silver.

Seeing their gazes lock onto him, Will tensed. What would their next move be? Were they going to call out, draw Big Guy's attention? Not now, please!

But, after sniffing the air and staring for several long seconds, both of them laid their heads back down behind the boulder. Will relaxed. Now he could have Binky all to himself.

With his raptor senses, Will could perceive that Binky was of even lower rank than he was. He was also highly submissive in his behavior, never the type to step on anyone's toes or draw a dirty look. And when commands were given, he followed them. It all made him perfect for the plan.

Turning away to face down the valley, Will brushed Binky's left flank with his stiff tail, producing a coughing grunt as he did so. Then Will walked off a few yards. It was a "Follow me" message.

Binky raised a foot, took a step-but then went no further, giving an inquiring chirp and looking at Will, then back in the direction of the rest of the pack. Will understood the meaning well enough.

 _Dude, I'd love to go-but this doesn't feel right. What about the others? And shouldn't it be more natural for Big Guy or another member of the upper class to be leading me out on a hunt? That's the way it's normally done around here you know. And last but not least, if Big Guy finds out we've been doing_ _ **anything**_ _that should rightfully be_ _ **his**_ _job behind his back, our butts are so going to be toast!_

 _Fine_ , Will mentally shrugged as he squared his shoulders and continued on. _I'm doing this with or without his help._ He'd only gone perhaps a dozen yards when he heard, to his gladness and delight, Binky's clawed feet trotting over the rocks.

When the younger raptor caught up, Binky then opened his mouth partway, and gently nipped Will on the right flank. (What the-) Will began as he drew back shocked. Binky gently nipped him again, a bit harder. (Quit that!)

But then a memory from his raptor brain clarified everything for Will. Binky had _accepted_ his invitation. He was saying, "Okay, I'll follow you. Now take me on a hunt!"

So Will got going, both raptors sticking to the bottom of the valley, glancing up every so often at the hillsides above and around them for any sign of meat.

From between two of these hills, a large stream flowed, its current swift at first, but then slowing as it flowed down the bed of the valley. Will kept close to its bank with Binky not far behind, hoping to find a dead fish, a drowned dinosaur, or some other carcass.

Then, at a bend in the river fifty yards away from where Will was trotting, his nose caught the unmistakable odor that excites all predators. That of a free meal. Of carrion!

RUN-EAT-GRAB-CLAIM-DEVOUR-FEAST-EAT-TASTY!

With an excited, enthusiastic squawking bark, Binky raced forward, leaping into a mass of horsetails and clamping down on a large, scaly armored tail.

Will was there in a flash too, splashing into the cold, hip-deep water. Fighting his way through the horsetails, feeling the sand under his feet, he clamped onto the stubby, clawed left leg of something lying on its back, pale belly shining in the moonlight.

Digging his clawed fingers into the scaled hide of the carcass, he helped Binky drag it out of the thick horsetails and several yards onto dry land, where at last he could properly examine it.

It was the body of a crocodile, eight or nine feet long. On the bank, with nothing to obscure its form, it was now easy for Will to see what had killed it. There were several rows of gruesome puncture marks in its creamy throat, and one of its front legs had been ripped off. Obviously this croc had tried to go _mano a mano_ with a rival…and ended up paying dearly for its overconfidence. Or maybe the croc had been trying to hold onto its top position as king of the waterway with all he'd had, to the point where he'd chosen death before the dishonor of being beaten. That idea not only resonated deeply with Will, but also made him feel rather sad.

Binky brought him out of his thoughts with an inquiring, expectant yelping chirp. Could they eat now?

(Yeah,) Will replied as Binky mildly startled, cocking his head, (but _only_ the portion that I allow you to.)

Binky seemed to understand as Will then went to the crocodile's front end and began to tear at its punctured throat with his hooked teeth with relish and abandon. But not too much. His raptor mind wanted to start feeding on the best portions, the liver, lungs, and other organs, the great tail, rich in muscle and fat, with an intensity like few things Will had ever felt before.

But Will wouldn't allow that. _Those_ parts of the crocodile would be reserved for Maia instead. Better to feed on the neck and head. It would fill his Deinonychus crop just as nicely, and removing the skull would also make the carcass that much lighter to haul back home.

Even if it was poorer quality, the meat still tasted quite good to Will's raptor palate as he fed, spiced just right by the early stages of decay. Binky also fed from the same area, but also couldn't resist taking a longing glance at or even sneaking a small, darting bite from the "forbidden" spots once in a while. But every time he tried to pull that, Will growled, and Binky immediately obeyed him. It made a nice change.

Within about half an hour, the crocodile's head was not only severed from its body, but stripped of as much meat as Will and Binky's teeth could pluck and nip from it.

He stepped back a few steps, cocking his head as he regarded the headless carcass. He knew that Big Guy would be furious to catch the scent of food on Will, a red flag that he and Binky had subverted his authority by wandering off to hunt without his go-ahead. And if he knew anything about the way politics worked in his school, as soon as Big Guy gave a dirty look at Binky, the younger raptor would perform the equivalent of pointing his finger at Will and screaming in terror, "It wasn't my fault, Big Guy! He dragged me into it! I just did what he told me to!"

But for the plan to work, they had to go back. They- _he_ -had to run the risk of another beating.

(Okay Binky,) he said softly, (let's take this croc back to the others and get it over with,) as he lowered his head and bit into the thick, oozing neck stump. Binky grabbed the base of the tail, and together, neck muscles straining, they lifted it into the air together.

Using their hand claws for extra support, they carried the carcass between them that way back up the valley, putting it back down every so often to rest.

When they were nearly back at where the rest of the raptor pack was, Will suddenly heard several low, angry growls. Jerking his head up in fear, both he and Binky let go of the crocodile carcass as the forms of Big Guy, Junior, and several other raptors raced at them. _Oh, no_.

They'd caught their scent, knew that they'd both been gone for a time, had been gone together, and now could smell that he and Binky had just had a private meal. Now they were going to teach the two of them a lesson!

But when they saw and smelled the crocodile, they all stopped, blinking in confusion. Even Junior seemed puzzled about what was going on.

Taking advantage of the situation, Will made a quarter turn and leapt onto the croc's body, sinking his teeth deep into the bottom of its tail and jerking upward, the action tearing a large strip of flesh free. His raptor mind fiercely wanted to bolt it down. But Will had other plans.

HUNGRY-RIP-EAT-HUNGRY

Then, with a single minded determination, he shot through his startled pack mates while they were still caught off guard, leaping and weaving over and among them. In perhaps just sixty seconds, he was almost at the base of the hill where Maia was sleeping.

At the sound of his rapid, approaching footsteps, she jerked awake, leaping to her feet in the blink of an eye. So did her chicks. She spread her plumed arms and hissed as the chicks pressed against her flanks, head and neck extended, preparing to bite Will again if he overstepped…

And got a surprise when Will tossed the crocodile meat her way. A small puff of dust rose as it wetly hit the ground. Maia's eyes locked on it, then went back to Will, then back to the meat, then back to Will as she blinked slowly in amazement, transparent third eyelid sliding across her eyeballs.

 _This is for me?_ She was clearly saying. _From you, a low-ranking male? And even after I bit you hard?_

 _Of course,_ Will silently confirmed by cautiously moving closer and pushing it sideways with his foot. _No hard feelings._

She lowered her head and swallowed it in three quick gulps, keeping her eyes on Will as she did so.

As she stood up, her chicks investigating the place where the meat had landed, she gave an inquiring sort of thin yelp as she looked at him expectantly.

 _Hey, that wasn't half bad! Is there any more around? The kids and I could use something meatier than a handful of prehistoric rats._

With a quick jerk of his head downslope and a guttural chirp, Will wasted no time turning on his heels and running back to where he'd left the crocodile. Maia also followed at a run, her brood of chicks right at their mom's tail.

Junior and two of his pals were eagerly starting to feed on the carcass as they got close, while Big Guy stalked around a cowering Binky, snarling, hitting the ground with his killing claws, evidently telling him that he had some explaining to do.

 _Click-click-click-click._

As soon as Maia gave a sharp screech though, all the high rollers stopped and looked up at where she was hurtling over the rocks and bushes with Will. On reaching the carcass, she gave a single low, possessive growl, staring daggers at Junior and his two buddies as Will came to a stop.

They looked at her, then Big Guy, who looked back at them. Then, to Will's astonishment, even though the trio outnumbered Maia, they all backed away to let her and her chicks have the crocodile for themselves, producing only mild hisses of complaint. It was another glimpse into the workings of the raptor pack. Mothers and their chicks, the future of the team, always got a spot at the table, even if someone else was there first.

Another female appeared on the scene then, with three chicks of her own. As Maia tore open the croc's belly and began to feast on liver, her chicks joining in, the new female cautiously slunk closer, trying to remain inconspicuous.

But in vain.

Noticing the new female sneaking closer for a share of croc meat, Maia stood up tall and gave a low growl, then hissed for good measure, showing her hand claws.

But then Big Guy intervened by giving an even huskier growl as he looked at Maia, then a sharp caw of rebuke. That took the wind out of her sails somewhat, and she puffed air out of her nostrils before going back to feeding, still occasionally shooting glances at the other female, whom Will decided to think of as Cinderella.

 _Okay,_ she seemed to be saying, _I'll let Cinderella and her kids eat too. But you'd better behave yourself mam!_

As Cinderella and her brood began to work on the pelvis, Maia once more raised her now blood-smeared muzzle and ivory pseudo-beak to look in his direction. Her python gaze held his for a minute or two, and something beyond words, something Will couldn't quite put his finger on, passed between them before she lowered her head and returned to feeding. Then he realized. In her own silent way, Maia was saying "Thank you." It warmed his heart.

But now Big Guy was coming towards him, his face like with all the raptors always stony and unreadable. Then he gave a terrible, snarling hiss that tore the night air and clicked his sickle claws against the stone, three times.

 _Click-click-click._

Will cringed. What was he going to do? Drop kick or shove him again?

Big Guy stood tall, crest erect, and gave a slow, grumbling noise…which then shifted into a sort of purr!

Will couldn't believe it. Both his intuition and dino mind told him Big Guy was saying the equivalent of " _That was pretty nice going there kid. While I'm not happy that you and Binky went off on a hunt behind my back- and __**don't you ever**_ _let me catch you doing that crap again!-you still brought home a nice prize to show for it. Besides, it turns out that you did it all for the pack's wives and kids, so that more than makes up for it and your _ weirdness _today_."

The raptor then actually rubbed his head once, twice, against Will's flank as he stood motionless, like a horse might, before backing up and turning away to head back upslope.

Carefully, optimism and cheer creeping up within him, Will decided to make use of this foothold, and tried to walk beside Big Guy at a close, yet respectful distance. But Big Guy wasn't having it. With an unfriendly growl, his feathered hackles rose as he whipped around and snapped at Will, driving him back.

(Whoa there, sorry!) Will protested as he backpedaled.

Big Guy clicked his sickle claws twice, then turned away and continued on, leaving Will behind.

He sighed. While it seemed like he'd now gotten a foot in the door with his dicey "meat gifting" plan, it obviously wasn't enough to take him all the way. He knew he should be grateful that Big Guy hadn't beaten him up again, that at least he was now at Square Five instead of back at Square One. And of course he was. For one thing, Maia was going to be on friendlier terms with him now, which was definitely something.

But he'd much rather be at Square Fifty any day over Five.

Once more, he shivered. Still cold, despite the feathers. Taking a plunge into the stream hadn't helped matters.

 _Well, Mister Academic Achiever, if you're so cold, do something about it!_

His father the Briefcase Man's words again. Right as usual too.

(Things don't change unless you make them change,) Will told himself out loud. Some more of Briefcase Man's secret words of power.

He decided to climb back up the hill, where there would be no distractions. Once he'd gotten there, he looked around at the possibilities. There was plenty of bark to shred and kindling. And this flat area that had served as a fairly sheltered resting place for him would do just as well for a campfire. There were stones he could use to keep the flames in place. But how to make a spark?

 _Everything you require is right in front of you. You just need to sniff it out,_ his dad seemed to whisper.

Will had to make use of his senses. His new senses.

So he drew in a breath of thin mountain air. The sharp, dusty carrion and hawk smell of the raptors filled his olfactory chambers, along with the thin hint of an enticing scent, the scent that had brought the pack here in the first place.

But there was more underneath that, and he needed to process everything.

It all made him think of a beautiful quote about the true natures of animals by the author Henry Beston, from his book _The Outermost House_.

" _In a world more complete than ours, they move more finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear._ "

He breathed in once more. This time he tuned out all the major, appealing scents, and tried to concentrate on those of the actual landscape around him. Through the scent symphony, a distinct, chalky odor came to him.

That of limestone. The mountains were full of limestone!

Will searched about in the darkness until he came to one of the little tunnels used by the mammals. He dug and clawed until he'd dislodged a few pieces of the deeper, drier rock. He could use it like flint to make a fire!

(Scouting rules!) he said.

As the raptors slept, played, groomed, or fed below, Will gathered kindling, dry moss, and used his strength to push, carry, and move stones into a circle, even sometimes kicking out some dirt with his feet like a chicken to achieve a better fit. Each of the stones or sticks was carried in just one arm at a time, clasped against his chest. If he'd tried to use both, the primary wing feathers on both would've gotten in each other's way.

Then he sat upright, body tilted forward slightly as he took two of the stone pieces he'd found and attempted to strike them together. It wasn't easy.

While his raptor hands could pick up and manipulate objects, they had only three digits, not five. Nor did they have the dexterity or padded ends of human fingers.

His first dozen or so attempts were failures.

(Some Boy Scout you are,) Will muttered. But he knew quite well that he'd been a _great_ scout.

 _Keep at it_ , Briefcase Man's voice whispered. _You know you can make it work._

With his cragged hands, Will struck the stones together-and yelped with glee when he saw a spark! It hit the moss and glowed. Leaning forward, Will automatically attempted to blow on it-but he couldn't!

His Deinonychus face didn't have the muscles to form its lips into a tube and direct air at an object, he realized sickly. Helplessly, he could do nothing but watch the ember wink out. It wasn't fair! Not when he'd almost tasted victory! Curse this dinosaur bo-

 _That's okay,_ his father's voice said in his mind once more. _Looking at things in a different way often helps you get around limitations._

A nice thought, but how was he going to put it into practice? Will sat back and flicked his long tail in frustration. Wait just a second. His tail!

He glanced over his shoulder and curled his stiff tail toward him, looking at it as if truly seeing it for the first time. Most of it was covered with long, hair-type plumes. At the rear third however, it was ringed by a nearly complete oval of shafted, vaned feathers, larger, longer and carrot orange in color. They made his tail look almost like some sort of fan.

 _Like a fan! That was it!_

(Hallelujah!) Will yelped in gladness.

Using twitches of the muscles at the base of his tail to generate gentle airflow, it took ten more attempts before he managed to ignite some shredded bark, which sputtered, then died. Ten more, and another clump of bark shreds and moss bits ignited. And it held.

He fed in more small fuels, more moss, more bark, conifer twigs and needles. Then proper kindling. Then he tossed real branches on, and small logs. Stepping back, he sat down and watched the blaze grow. He felt its heat, fluffing up his feathers to let it deeper in. Basked in the glory of its light and the scent of the wood smoke.

(I made this,) he said proudly. (The first campfire in freaking history!)

He wondered idly if he could find some nuts, or if there was a way to make something like popcorn.

Heh, prehistoric popcorn. That'd be too wild!

Will approached the flames more closely, though his inner raptor fiercely advised him against it.

FIRE-DANGER-BAD-BURN-STING-HURT-HOT-RUN AWAY-FIRE DANGER-BURN!

But Will sat down before the first campfire the world had ever known, feeling happy, intensely pleased with himself, and unafraid for the first time that night. This fire was such a simple thing, but it had every video game, movie, party-even every election-totally beat.

For that moment in time, nothing else mattered.

Then he heard it. Silence. The sounds of the other raptors had died away. In its place were stealthy footsteps over the rocks and uncertain, fearful honks and croaks. All coming toward him.

(Oh, no,) Will said fearfully, standing up tensely.

The rest of the twenty-strong pack (not counting the chicks) was coming for him.

Big Guy was the first on the scene. He looked as grim as a storm cloud, mouth slack to show his teeth.

Other raptors bounced on their feet or leapt about, in consternation, excitement, or perhaps in fear of the flames. Many stayed far back, including Maia and Cinderella, who in this situation kept their chicks on a tight leash. Some gathered in small groups for security. Some came closer to the fire and carefully scanned the ground, perhaps having learned that brushfires sometimes flushed out small animals like lizards and mammals for a bold raptor to snatch up. A few squealed or honked. Others chattered in agitation. Their eyes shone blue in the firelight.

Will saw tails flickering and heard sickle claws tapping in aggression.

 _Click. Tap. Click. Tap. Click._

He frantically considered kicking dirt onto the campfire. But it was too late. The pack had him surrounded, and would do whatever Big Guy wanted them to do.

Will heard a familiar keening cry from behind him. He didn't have to turn around to know that it was Junior.

Not only had he "been weird again," but this time he'd gone and caused something highly dangerous to appear just a stone's throw from their nest site! Somehow.

Big Guy took a meditative step toward the blaze, eyes shining electric blue. Will didn't know what to do. There was nowhere to run. He'd fight with everything he had if he had to, but he was inexperienced with this body. He didn't think he'd last very long before being overwhelmed by the others. All the same, he lowered his head and spread out his arm/wings to their full extent, getting ready to produce a piercing screech at the first sign of an attack. Maybe it would make them all jump back, give him a shot at making a run for it…

He watched as Big Guy stared down at the flames. A heavy branch shifted and sparks flew up, accompanied by a sound like tinfoil being crunched. Big Guy shifted position and gave a thoughtful, slurred cluck, cocking his head. He appeared mesmerized by the flames. Then to Will's astonishment, he carefully fluffed his own feathers and sat down before the fire, basking in this strangely soothing new warmth.

His grim demeanor began to fade. Without thinking, Will picked up a thick stick and pushed more wood into the fire. The flames leapt higher, crackled louder.

Big Guy's head jerked back, and he blinked twice in surprise. But then he relaxed, and uttered a purring _coo_. He glanced from the fire to Will, and then to the stick he clutched before giving a single, no-nonsense grunt.

At that, three raptors were surrounding Will. Two started gently shoving and butting his flanks with their heads like horses, prodding him in a certain direction. Another lightly took his right wing in its mouth and began tugging.

At first Will was terrified. (Hey, quit that!) he began. (Cut it out!) Then he realized, disbelief and joy flooding over him. Before the minute was over, he was seated right next to the pack leader!

There was a breathy hiss of disapproval, and Junior walked around to the other side of his father and kicked at the stones circling the flame. He got too close, and the fire toasted his toes!

"LLEEEEOOOOWWWW!" he wailed as he leapt back on one foot, a cry that made Will think of a peacock at the zoo and a cat taking a boot in the ass rolled into one as he inwardly grinned. Junior indeed, then gave spitting hisses of fury and frustration at the fire, like a cat's.

Big Guy dismissed him. Other raptors gathered around. Buddy sat next to Will. A female Will thought of as Queen Jadis-and she was also Maia's sister, he could smell-sat down directly across from him.

Soon, all the raptors were gathered around the fire. Little tussles broke out for places to sit, and a few still wanted to play, but the warmth was lulling the pack to sleep. Will alternated between dozing himself and keeping the fire burning for several more hours while Big Guy slept curled up beside it, cat like. The other raptors did too, the only movement that of their ribs contracting and expanding as they drew breath. When Will tried to rise to collect more wood, Big Guy raised his head and took his tail in his jaws, gently pulling him back down. So Will stayed put.

 _Did I win over Big Guy?_ Will wondered hopefully as he drifted off to sleep. Once he'd stopped trying so hard, it had become a lot easier.

More words from Briefcase Man echoed in his mind as sleep overtook him. _Sometimes you have to slow down to go faster._

Will hadn't understood that one until tonight. By moving slowly, by not desperately racing toward his goal-and in more ways than one, stumbling and falling along the way-he'd achieved what he'd set out to do. Maybe Briefcase Man was smarter than he looked…

It was Will's last thought before drifting off.

Sometime later, a sound woke him. A hiss that sounded next to his ear.

Will began to stand, turning in surprise as half a dozen pack members threw themselves at him. He was so startled that he had no time to scream or roar. Lying on his back, hissing, he tried to ward his attackers off as best he could with snaps of his jaws and swipes from all four sets of claws. But there were too many, and they stomped and kicked and body slammed and head butted, engaging in a terribly one-sided prehistoric cockfight. Until Will lay too confused, dazed, and sore to really fight back any longer.

After the steady rain of blows had halted, Will felt jaws grabbing parts of his body and working in tandem to drag him away. They weren't biting down with their full wolflike power, thank God, but just holding onto him. He saw Big Guy lying curled up undisturbed next to the orange coals of the dying fire, along with many other members of the pack. Will was hauled, jerking and writhing, down into the valley, across a stretch of flatland, then up a steep, talus-strewn all-too-familiar hill, convinced that at any moment they would stop and pull him to pieces.

His attackers had been surprisingly quiet and self-controlled. Will had now been dragged halfway up the hill on which Big Guy had tested the younger raptors when he came around more clearly enough for that thought to occur to him.

Then he was pounded again.

Finally, he felt himself being lifted, shifted, and he caught a glimpse of a single baleful face, ringed by feathers, in the moonlight.

(Junior?) Will moaned. (I'm sorry!) His only response was a low hiss and a swishing tail. Of sick delight? Of contempt?

Suddenly, he was thrust into a dark, narrow space. His head struck solid rock, and he knew then exactly what was going on.

Will was being stuffed into the narrow passage he had tried desperately to climb into earlier that day!

Then he heard another sound, of feet running up the slope, and a shocked, indignant cry. It was produced by a female voice. Maia's voice! His new true friend had arrived out of nowhere, come to help him!

Will gave a distressed, weak yowl in response. And Maia gave a more forceful cry of anger, no more than twenty feet away from him, feet pounding on the stone as she hissed at the others-but she was then stopped in her tracks by at least four deep, low growls. He heard them softly clack their jaws with a popping sound, and Maia's angry hiss became a thin whine.

Will understood, awful and crushingly disappointing as it was. She was outclassed and outnumbered. And even if she still wanted to intervene, she had her chicks to think about.

He fought hard, with a strength that would've freed him from the grips of three strong men, but Junior and a pal gripped, pressed against his legs, his tail base, and pushed Will with all their might.

 _No,_ Will thought. _Maia, get help, this can't happen, it can't be ending like-_

(Ow!) he cried as his skull hit a rock. He tried to bring his sickle claws to bear but was still too dazed. All he could do was make a few ineffectual kicks at Junior.

The other Deinonychus spat and hissed in response-and pushed harder. Will's head struck more rock as he heard Maia give a helpless cry from outside. A blinding light shone behind his eyes, coupled with intense pain. He heard rock falling around him, felt Junior and the other raptor pushing him toward-

What now? He smelled fresh air once more. And something else. Then he was slipping down a long, winding tunnel head over heels, scrabbling with his claws, a narrow slide that sent him speeding downward. He crashed into another wall of earth, and came to a painful, thudding halt. Rocks and soil partly buried him. Will felt their weight pressing on his strong yet light body.

He smelt something, an odor that was now stronger than ever before. A ripe, pungent herbivore scent, rich and appealing. The scent that was everywhere and nowhere, that filled the entire valley!

HUNGRY-HUNGRY-HUNGRY-RED MEAT-FAVORITE PREY!

Will dug frantically, his human brain lost to the fear and primal desires of the raptor's instincts. Only one thing human remained. Rage drove him on.

He'd done it! He'd finally achieved what he'd set out to achieve, and then that fucking son of a lizard Junior had-

Suddenly, the dirt and stone gave way, and he was sliding again! He sped deeper into the hole, hearing rocks falling and clacking on the outcrop on which he'd landed, sealing the hole once more. He spun toward a sharp turn, whacked his head on the rock-and came to a stop. He was right over nothingness, a black void. A low, alarmed rumble came from something ahead.

Will spread his arms, whipped his tail, and leapt into the air, actually falling in a sort of controlled glide. It was a two story drop, and he didn't stick the landing as well as he'd hoped. The impact was just jarring! He groaned and cradled his sore right arm. His left leg felt twisted.

Good cripes, what had they done to him? What the hell was this place and where exactly in-

HUNGRY-HUNGRY-HUNGRY-CHOICE MEAT-FAVORITE PREY NEAR

And what was that odor from? Will's vision began to clear, and he blinked away the dust. He was in a good-sized cavern, its floor covering perhaps a little over an acre in area. Moonlight filtered down from a jagged crack in the ceiling. It gave him just enough light to make out something big moving, breathing in the darkness. Another dinosaur! This one was a female, twenty-four feet in length with an insanely long, stiff tail, and fourteen times his weight. Vast and meaty, she gave off the scent he and the other raptors had been drawn to earlier.

Behind her cowered two smaller dinosaurs, about the size of pit bulls with beaked faces, their birdlike bodies reaching no higher than a man's lower thigh. At first he thought they were babies of the big dinosaur. But then he smelt that they were adults of a different species. He also smelt that they were both wounded.

His Deinonychus instincts didn't care that these creatures were alive. Or that one was enormous. Or about anything except-

HUNGRY-HUNGRY-FAVORITE PREY

But Will certainly cared. He was on his own, scared, and in no shape to take a dinosaur this size on. She was fourteen times bigger, after all!

(I'm not gonna hurt you,) Will told her.

The moving boulder in the darkness stopped. She snuffled.

(I promise. I don't think I could if I wanted to. And I really don't want to.)

A low _gwaa_ filled the cave, causing the two smaller dinosaurs to cheep in fear. The figure advanced and was revealed by the dim light coming from the crack. Will could see a large, U shaped beak with slicing edges and serrated, leaf-shaped teeth. Blazing crystal blue eyes. Small arms. Big hind feet. A body covered in sleek, colorful hair-like feathers, the ones on the spine sticking straight up like a furious cat.

Prey. No, not just prey. The reason the raptor pack had gathered here. These creatures and their dung was what he'd smelt in the hills.

Will suddenly thought of the fissure he'd seen when he and Junior had raced for the food, the telltale signs of a serious earthquake that must've torn through this area-perhaps not all that long ago.

This was where the prey had gone. This was where it had come, perhaps to seek shelter from a storm, perhaps to give the pack the slip, perhaps for a reason Will would never figure out. At any rate, now they'd been trapped here.

Did Big Guy know about this? Did this have anything to do with the "extinction event," as Will was now thinking of it, that Bertram said would happen here in three days? He might not live to find out.

Will gazed at the dinosaur before him and palpably _felt_ a seething hatred and desperation rolling off of her. The floor of the cave trembled as the dinosaur advanced on him. She weighed at least a ton.

He drew back as she bared her beak and gathered herself for a charge, looking for any route of escape. He didn't know what to do, or for that matter, if there was anything he _could_ do.

He gasped as she charged him on all fours like a bull, gave a piercing scream as he spread his arms and bared his teeth to try to bluff her-and in a flash the dinosaur was upon him anyway.

Brutal kicks and stomps. Skidding over stone. Bitten and flung. Another kick. Smashing into a stone wall. And then an even deeper type of darkness.

* * *

 **Junior's just a little shit, isn't he?**

 **The large dinosaur in the cave with Will is a Tenontosaurus, while the two smaller ones (which never showed up in the actual book) belong to a genus of hypsilophodontid called Zephyrosaurus.**

 **While the Dinoverse books were written 15 years ago, our knowledge of dinosaurs and their appearance has naturally marched on since then, and I have made it a point to have all these dinos be as scientifically accurate and up to date as possible in this fic. (Unlike a certain cinematic franchise I could name, *cough* naked raptors *cough*) Hence why my ornithopods here have coats of plumage. :)**

 **And thus ends Part One! Please do be kind and review my readers!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Patience**

Faster!

Patience was pushing herself hard, feet pounding and squelching through the deep mud. She'd been running at a good clip ever since she'd scented meat. Twenty yards behind her ran Wu in his massive Iguanodon body, standing on his thick hind legs, rhino feet splayed. The soggy lowland had given way to cypress-palmetto swamp and horsetail marsh as Mr. London writhed and squirmed, his tiny head whacking from side to side against Patience's feverish belly. He yelped and pleaded with her to slow down, not be so rough. But she couldn't. She had to stay focused, stay in the zone, or else-

Her stomach rumbled. And food was within her grasp, hot and tasty. All she'd have to do was impale it with her meat hook hand claws, lower her head, and then-

(Yahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh!) Mr. London cried, as if sensing her thoughts

(Patience, fight it!) Wu implored her from behind. (If you kill him, we'll-)

(He's just fine, Doctor,) she growled. (And I'm not that stupid, okay? Mr. London's just complaining again, that's all.)

(I think he has pretty good reason to complain, looking at the position he's in and the way you're bashing through the bush with him,) Wu replied sternly. (Maybe you should be having him ride jockey-style on your back instead, or on mine.)

Patience frowned inwardly. She came to a stop. A final burst of mud splashed around her shins.

(Why'd you want to come with me if you were just gonna slow me down?) she demanded of Mr. London. (You were the one who said I needed to get back to Zane as quick as I could, in case something came out of the dark and tried to eat him. Even though he's got Muldoon and Nedry there to watch over him.)

(I thought you might need help…)

(Help?) She snorted in contempt. (I have more than enough back up already with Wu here if I get into trouble. Admit it, you just felt like tagging along.) She not only was sure that was the reason, but that it was an excuse for her teacher to satisfy more of his all-consuming curiosity about this age.

At least Wu had been upfront from the get go about that being the reason why he was coming along for the ride, because he was interested in seeing how she foraged and fed, like she was some great big science experiment. And most likely to possibly see if he could encounter yet more cool stuff like feathered dinosaurs, staring at them like they were the most goddamn amazing thing since sliced bread. She dropped Mr. London onto a muddy flat, and he shook himself like a chicken before scampering away and pacing about, stopping now and again to groom himself with his beak.

The rain hadn't let up all evening. If anything, it was coming down harder. And there was precious little protection from it.

She stopped and cocked her head. (So what is it you're actually after?)

(Prey seems scarce in this region,) Mr. London commented. (And there must be a reason for it.)

(A lot of these huge dinosaurian herbivores have to travel vast distances to find enough forage and water,) Wu responded. (So they're almost certainly undertaking at least partial migrations, and I'd guess they simply aren't in the area right now.)

(You may be right, Henry,) Mr. London thoughtfully nodded. (I suppose the lack of many herbivores in this area could also be due to a prolonged drought. Considering all this rain, I know it doesn't seem all that likely. But these downpours may be a recent thing, coming on the heels of a dry period.)

(This place seems to have a climate closer to Louisiana or even southern Mexico than Kenya,) Wu said. (And at any rate, we've been seeing increasingly more Tenontosaurus herds this afternoon.)

(But that's not what's weighing on you, is it?) she addressed Mr. London.

Mr. London shook his beaked head, jutting eyebrows lending him a grave appearance. (I'm concerned about the slim possibility of some widespread disease,) as they began to walk along. (I hope I'm wrong, but it's something we need to take into consideration. Bertram talked of an event that could change history.)

Wu stood tall and inhaled the wet air. (Well, for what it may be worth, my own dinosaur body is a herbivore, and ever since we arrived here, it hasn't picked up any odors of death or disease. All the same, it's not a bad thing to keep in mind,) he added.

(Well, fortunately we're in the Mid-Cretaceous right now,) Mr. London said. (While this particular time may be the last hurrah for two or three dinosaur species or genera-that happens all the time-there's no recorded signs in the fossil record of any significant extinction event. But a pathogen, with the right random mutation or carried over a long enough distance-)

(So you're saying you're worried that I'll eat something diseased, get sick, and bring the disease to Will and Ground Zero? That I might cause whatever's going to happen?)

(Oh, you don't have to have symptoms of a disease to carry and spread it,) Wu pointed out. (Many strains of parrot fever for example, can stay dormant in a bird for weeks or months until its body is subjected to stress-but even then, it will be shedding the bacterium through feces and nasal secretions. But yes, I'd say that's what he's getting at.)

(As your boss would say, "Oh balls,") she growled.

(Wait, how could you possibly know Hammo-Oh that's right, Jurassic Park. The book we're all in. That you've read,) Wu remembered, shaking his beaked head and chuckling in bewildered amusement.

(At any rate, we all need to be very careful. We have to take everything into account, think before we act.)

(Yeah, just like you did with the machine.)

He looked away and bit off a short horsetail at its base, chewing. (Exactly my point,) he grumbled. (I suppose you're equally bitter and upset at me over this as well, Dr. Wu?) he said rhetorically. (I wouldn't blame you if you are. Especially since you were in an entirely different universe, and shouldn't have been invol-)

(Look,) Wu replied. (If you want to hear the honest truth from me Bob, I _really_ wish you'd had the sense not to meddle with a device that you _**already knew**_ possessed astonishing power, was unpredictable, behaved in highly random ways, and was capable of doing _this_ to a human awareness,) gesturing to his scaly chest with a thumb spike. (Dinosaurs, Bob. Sends the minds of people into dinosaurs living tens of millions of years before even the first apes evolved, let alone people. What in God's name you were thinking by turning it on a second time instead of destroying it…I can't comprehend it.)

(And that's ditto for me as well,) Patience growled.

(Believe me, I'm deeply regretful about having caused this through my lack of prudence, if it counts as an apology in any fashion,) London said remorsefully, seeming to shrink in on himself. (At least I can promise tha-)

(I'm not done speaking yet, and you are not done with listening,) Wu cut in, causing Patience to blink in surprise. (And you're absolutely right,) he told him coldly. (To have dragged three of your own students into this-this terrible horror is bad enough, but also bringing Nedry, Muldoon, and I into it is both unfair and inexcusable in the extreme. Especially when we were right in the middle of a vitally important inspection and evaluation of the park, no less! And speaking of horror-)

She saw his huge Iguanodon muscles shudder underneath his scaly skin. (I thought I knew what that word meant. Things like vampires, serial killers, the Friday the 13th movie series. But you know what, Mr. London? The terrors of werewolves, nuclear war, sliced throats, and zombies are merciful compared to the concept of being trapped in a body that isn't your own, that is covered with scales and walks on all fours, the idea that you can eat ferns and actually enjoy them.)

(Well I'm in the same boat too, if it makes you feel any less miserable,) Mr. London replied defensively. (And at least _your_ body has the size and ability to protect itself. All I can do is run for my life and pray I prove to be the faster-or quicker. And I had absolutely no inkling that the M.I.N.D. machine would affect you, much less that any of you actually existed as entities in your own right! How could I have!?)

(And I've said that I'm deeply sorry!) Mr. London went on. (It was a thoughtless thing to do, okay, and I'm trying to make it right! What more do you want from me? To kick me across the swamp, perhaps?)

(Kick you?) Wu repeated in surprise, rocking back on his pelvis as his horse eyes widened and blinked. (Why in the world would I do a thing like that? Please, I'm not nearly that petty or savage,) he snorted.

(Well, that's a relief to know,) Mr. London said.

And then, to Patience's surprise, the tense anger and judgmental expression drained from Wu's eyes and massive muscles. He took a few steps towards the hypsy.

(But you want to know something else?) he said softly, beak almost seeming to form a pleased smile. (While I don't appreciate having the bottom dropped out from the world I know and understand like this, I'm also going to admit that I'm actually strangely thankful for it too. For one thing, we have the amber key now, a way out of this state, however slim and uncertain it might be.)

(Yes,) London agreed. (That takes something of a great weight off of my shoulders as well.)

(Doesn't mean we should be counting our chickens before they're hatched though,) Patience pointed out. (There's still a long way to go, and a nice big puzzle to sort out when we do get there.)

(Nobody's saying we should, Patience,) Wu replied. (I'm just saying that the fact we now have the key in hand makes me personally feel both relieved and a lot more optimistic. And I hope it makes you feel the same way too.)

(It very much does.)

He clopped his beak in satisfaction.

(And while turning the M.I.N.D. machine back on was not a very smart act,) he said, voice briefly becoming a little harsher as he shot London a glare, (I can also understand as a fellow man of science why you did it, ill-advised as it was. Who's to say I wouldn't have done the same?)

And then, abruptly, Wu actually laughed, a slow, staccato chuckle. Patience stopped and stared. Henry Wu, laughing? She knew that Crichton wrote of him as smiling or grinning fairly often in the book. But never actually laughing.

(What is so funny?) she asked.

(It's because I realized one could easily turn things on their head with me,) he replied. (Malcolm certainly thinks that my lab and I are out of our minds to have created living dinosaurs, and I'm sure many people would argue that I'm every bit as irresponsible in that regard as we feel Mr. London was with the machine-although of course, we have far better control over the animals and much more understanding of what we've created. Bertram's device on the other hand, was an accident of creation, and I doubt even he'll ever come close to understanding the true capabilities of what he has.)

(That's probably just as well,) Mr. London grunted.

 _Wanna bet about that control thing, Dr. Wu?_ Patience thought. But she held her tongue.

(At any rate though, I can at least sympathize with the urge to do what you did. Wanting to experience a phenomenon for yourself, testing the limits and being consumed by curiosity.)

(And what a fantastic experience!) Wu enthused. (How many people have been able to say that they've seen and known the age of dinosaurs firsthand, and in the actual bodies of real dinosaurs at that?)

(Until now, only four.)

(They-we as well-are true pioneers in an amazing new world, filled with creatures that before we could only ever partially understand from fossils, inference, and analogy with modern animals and ecosystems. I don't doubt that Grant, Bakker, Horner, Cope, and all the other great paleontologists dead or living would sell their souls for just two hours in our "shoes.")

(No doubt! To see the past in its vivid glory, a universe of unknown wonders, and unknown dangers,) Mr. London agreed. (With sights and revelations like something out of the movie _Fantastic Voyage_ -a title which describes our circumstances quite perfectly!)

(I beg to differ there,) Patience muttered.

(Ahh, _Fantastic Voyage_ ,) Wu reminisced in pleasure. (Was that ever a great film, in every sense of the word. It truly has to be one of the most extraordinary movies Hollywood has ever produced, and it's definitely one of my personal favorites. The novelization by Asimov is naturally excellent too.)

(I vividly remember my parents taking me to see it at the drive-in when I was just ten,) Mr. London recalled, (and I was completely spellbound by it from beginning to end. Every shot which took place in the bloodstream was so gorgeously done, and that final scene where the white blood cell was after them, and they had to get out through the tear duct before they became normal size once more…ugh, just unbearably tense!)

(Oh, I know,) Wu agreed. (And the way they were swimming so painfully slowly. Now though, you wonder why the broken and engulfed sub didn't expand as well though, ripping Benes' face apart. Thankfully, Asimov took that into account in the novel version.)

(Yes, they had it chase after them down the optic nerve,) Mr. London said. (Still, it was an extraordinary trip inside the human body all the same, a true masterpiece and showcase of its hidden wonders. And I'll freely admit that Raquel Welch was a pretty pleasing feature of the movie as well,) he added, giving Wu a sly, knowing look.

(Oh, was she ever,) Wu agreed. (I'd be lying if I said otherwise. And as you know, she would ironically star that same year in the remake of _One Million Years B.C._ in that iconic, rather eye-catching fur bikini. Ironic because we find ourselves in a similar dinosaur-filled adventure,) he added. (To say nothing of where my life and Hammond's dreams have taken me.)

(I may have found that classic fur bikini every bit as appealing as a teenager as the dinosaurs were,) Mr. London commented.

(I may have felt the same way as you too,) Wu admitted.

(Pfft, you boys,) Patience snorted in mock disapproval. (Can't keep your eyes on the decent parts of a chick, can you? But as long as we're talking 60's sci-fi here, what I scented did smell a bit ripe, but I didn't have any 'Danger, Will Robinson!' warnings coming from my inner dino,) she shrugged.

(So you've seen _Lost in Space_ , I take it?) Wu asked.

(Yeah, on reruns. Penny was so cute, and I loved the adorable baby chimp she got to carry around with its weird headpiece.)

(Will was essentially a hero of mine as a boy,) Wu said.

(You're famished, we're not,) Mr. London replied. (Our instincts may be more discerning.)

(Fine.) Her head suddenly jerked up as a sudden worrying lack hit her olfactory chambers. (The meat! I can't smell it anymore!)

(It may have slipped underwater,) Mr. London suggested.

(Or been taken underwater,) Wu added, suddenly nervous as he scanned the cypress swamp with his horse eyes.

(What, by like one of those giant crocodiles in Bertram's story or something?) Patience mulled it over. (I'd be fine with some croc steak.)

(Let's just hope it isn't one big enough to turn the tables,) Wu said. (There were immense crocodiles alive during the Cretaceous as long as school buses, and I hope we're a bit early for them in geological terms.)

(Wow, ditto there,) Patience grunted. She could all too vividly imagine the awful, blood-chilling event taking place, of swamp water spraying everywhere in the air as the living armored tank of a vast croc launched itself out of the water at them like a missile, jaws longer than a person splitting open to reveal scads of ivory teeth the size of carrots, eager to bury them in her face or neck…

(Crocodile tartare is a better comparison,) Mr. London replied. (No possibility of cooking food. You'd have to eat it raw.)

(Something tells me that her acro body is rather more tolerant of raw flesh and its taste than her true one,) stated Wu. (In fact, most modern carnivores actively _reject_ cooked me-)

She looked hard at her teacher, her chest heaving.

(Still be better than snarfing down something like you. I mean, look at the size of you! You'd be a chicken nugget. One single chicken nugget. Wu on the other hand,) she commented as she cocked her head to fix him with her right eye, (would be a filling steak dinner.)

(Ah-ah Patience. Don't you even start talking about us in that type of way,) Wu sternly, yet thinly warned her, instinctively standing erect and displaying his thumb spikes. (Fight the temptation to lose yourself and search out that carcass instead. And if you can't, there's plenty of Tenontosaurs around to hunt instead of going after me. I'd even kill one for you if you have trouble hunting.)

Patience's brain began to fog over, her quills standing up in feral excitement. A desire deeper and stronger than any she had ever known gripped her. An Iguanodon bull, all alone and right in front of her! What fantastic luck this was! She'd have to stay away from the front end, where he could stab her with those spikes or bite her, aim for his flank and either pull or knock him onto his side, then open her jaws and…

 _Ste-ak din-ner. Chi-ck-en nug-get._

She forced herself to turn away quickly, deliberately pricking the skin on her narrow chest with her wicked hand claws. Her great muscles quivered, and she gave a light growl.

 _Don't look at them,_ Patience forcefully told herself. _Your teacher and Dr. Wu are not a buffet line!_ It was as ugly an idea as cannibalism. Which it sort of would be, really.

She went into a low crouch and ducked her head very close to the water. There was no trace of anything to be seen, but on the water's surface a sheen of scent came to her sensitive nostrils. The carrion again.

She yanked her head back up and cocked it to glance from her left eye at Mr. London. (Back in business! The meat's that way.)

(How about I ride on Henry's back this time? Your claws are rather sharp for my liking.)

(Suit yourself,) she shrugged as she turned away.

She took off, Wu lumbering along behind with Mr. London perched atop his oven-sized shoulders like a jockey. It made the geneticist look even more like a bizarro horse, she thought. Other than the roar of a crocodile nearby, there were no other sounds besides a few insects, the sounds of their feet, and the steady drumming of the rain.

They paced and loped through a tangled maze of trees, water lilies, fallen and split branches, and horsetail canebrakes, stomping, shoving, and leaping over every barrier in their path. The mud became thicker in places, slipperier in others. Soon she found what she was tracking. The carcass was wedged in the boughs of a fallen, sauropod-killed cypress.

She wasn't the first one who'd come for a free meal. Three five-foot crocodiles had been feeding from the dinosaur, whipping around and crash-diving in terror with a great splash and sweep of their tails as she strode forward. The heads of several turtles darted underwater too.

Patience's inner acro watched the crocs flee appraisingly. Crocodiles were good eating, but the scutes on their tails were somewhat painful going down the throat.

(Carrion,) Mr. London commented, standing tall on Wu's withers and making his way down his nape to the back of his head for a closer inspection. (Potentially ripe with disease. Did you know that large theropods such as yourself are known to have suffered from gout due to the prevalence of red meat in their diet?)

(And that has what relevance to anything right now?) Wu said in puzzlement.

Patience motioned to the geneticist to come closer.

(Diseased?) she asked.

He lightly inhaled, rectangular pupils fixed on the carcass, its odor of death clearly disturbing to his Iguanodon instincts. She supposed it was the equivalent of her walking through town and then coming across a human corpse being torn at by dogs and crows and coyotes, with a sign over it shouting in block letters, "THIS WILL BE YOU SOMEDAY!"

(No. And if forced to guess, I'd say this Tenontosaur got separated from her herd somehow, became lost in this swamp, and eventually grew so exhausted and stressed that she drowned. Which is why I'd like to get out of this place and back onto high ground as soon as possible,) he commented uneasily, slowly swinging his massive tail in tension. (The water level in this swamp is fairly low right now, but all this rain could change that at any time.)

(Then it's time to dine and dash,) Patience replied, crouching down over the carcass like an enormous hawk. (You'd better back away and not look,) she advised them. (And if I-lose it-turn on you…)

(Running away won't be a concern,) Mr. London assured her. (Henry and I will do so happily.)

(And with haste,) Wu said.

(Good to know.)

Patience freed her body to its need to devour, teeth sinking through the waterlogged, hairy feathers and tough skin. For the next several minutes it was all about grasping it with her hand claws, of tearing, of crunching bone, of tugging chunks of flesh free, of pitbull shaking, of crunching and swallowing, of meat-glorious meat!-filling her yearning, empty belly.

And it was delicious to the taste buds of her acrocanth body, as tasty as any dinner of fried chicken had ever been to her, nice and smelly and aged by early rot. Indeed, the flesh of the herbivore tasted rather like dark-meat chicken or turkey to Patience, but gamier.

At last, the dinosaur's tail disappeared down her gullet, and she found herself squatting in the water, awareness of who and what she was fully returning to normal.

A grinding, crunching sound drifted to her ears from somewhere close by as she washed her muzzle in the water. Another ridge-back?

Her head whipped about sharply. She saw Wu feeding, staring at her curiously, warily, from his left eye a dozen yards away. Where was Mr. London? Then, in the scaffold of branches and horsetails surrounding them, she saw movement.

(Gahhhh!) the hypsy cried, spooked by her movement and dropping the great conifer cone he'd been holding in his hands, shucking the scales away with his beak to expose the nuts. He raced along the bough in unthinking panic, knocked his head into a tree trunk, and then splashed into the water below.

(I'll get him,) she told Wu. She was there in three strides, gently fishing him out with her massive jaws and placing him on a slanted log. (Everything's okay. We're fine.)

(I thought for a moment-)

(It was just me. And I'm totally stable,) she assured him.

(Stable enough that I can trust you to carry me safely?) Mr. London asked.

(Absolutely.)

Without any further words, he leapt goat-like into her waiting arms, and she and Wu, with a sigh of relief that they were getting out of such a dismal place, did an about-face, following the pull that told them they were moving toward their ultimate goal.

(I wonder how Nedry and Harriet are getting along right now?) Wu idly pondered. (He seems to be at least tolerating her better.)

She said nothing.

(You don't talk much, do you?) Mr. London asked.

(You say that like it's a bad thing.)

(I always noticed how quiet you were in class…when you weren't turning your back on or hitting anyone. I thought I was boring you to tears.)

Patience shrugged. (You were. And you are. Any point to this?)

At a loss, Mr. London fell silent.

Sometimes Wu led, and sometimes she did, fighting her way through the brush and branches, butting through them with her massive skull or shouldering the obstacles out of the way while she guarded Mr. London. It made her think of the time she'd gotten lost in the woods when she was eight, after she'd run away from the children's home.

She'd escaped because she'd been terribly lonely, and wanted to see Helen again, a woman in her late forties who had adopted her for two years. Until she'd been diagnosed with a terminal illness. That awful, frantic night, cold and utterly lost, stumbling over logs and rocks, Patience's mind and the forest had been filled with all sorts of pants-wetting dangers. Coyotes. Wildcats. Monsters. Wolves. Rattlesnakes. Trolls. Mountain lions. Kidnappers. Goblins.

And then, in a sheltered, dry ravine just barely within sight of an occupied ranch house, she'd heard a small scrabbling type of movement. Heart in her throat, not daring to make a sound, she'd picked up a stout, fallen branch and stood ready as she could be to face whatever creature was stalking her, fully expecting a cougar to come racing out of the shadows and eat her.

It turned out to be a cat…but merely a lost gray tabby with white feet. She'd named him Stripe. And they'd become fast friends. She had read to the nervous cat from the storybook that she always had on her, carried in a paper bag. She had pressed his warm body against her, feeling the soft fur and the rapid heartbeat, sensing when his fear ebbed, talking softly to and stroking him, and dealing with her own fear by watching over him.

Later that night, when the police had found Patience, Stripe had been unceremoniously taken from her. She'd despised cops ever since.

She cast away the past for the here and now, looking down at the small, feathered and bedraggled creature in her arms. He felt warm and almost furry too, his heart beating like a jackhammer. Just like Stripe's…

(I'm really sorry,) she said softly as she shoved at a barrier of thick horsetails. (I shouldn't have said a thing like that.)

(Oh, I've hidden my tears before,) he replied in a lighter tone than she would've expected.

She yawned. (If you can't find what you need inside yourself, you're looking in the wrong place.)

(And you read that…)

(On a fortune cookie slip.)

(Sounds like a good fortune cookie.)

(I'd say so too,) Wu agreed. (They're not actually Chinese you know. Instead, they were invented by-)

(I thought so,) Patience cut in.

(So you're totally content with your life I take it?) Mr. London asked in interest as he looked up. (I've never met anyone like that before. What's it like?)

(I'd be content with _my_ life if Hammond would allow me to produce more peaceable dinosaurs and let me publish all the incredible things my team and I've done, the advances we've achieved, in the scientific journals,) Wu groused.

The comment came across as uncomfortably patronizing, and Patience responded by smashing into branches a lot harder than she needed to, not putting all that much effort into protecting Mr. London from the impacts.

Then she came to a stop again. (What is with this place? I know that I'm going in the right direction. I can feel it. But all these trees and logs and horsetail clumps make it a bitch to get anywhere.)

(Your body's weight isn't helping the situation either,) Wu said.

She whipped around to glare at him in fury.

(Oh Jesus!) he said then.

At first she thought he'd said the oath because he'd suddenly realized the stupidly offensive thing he'd just said to her. But no.

The water had formerly been up to his elbows and knees at its deepest. Now it was up to his chest!

(Just what I was afraid of,) he said unhappily, looking at the water with widening eyes, then to her, then back to the rising waters. And like he'd predicted, the rains were flooding the swamp!

(Then get moving!) she commanded, releasing Mr. London from her grasp. The water level was already up to her belly and mounting quickly. Wu was actually starting to float, swimming now with all four feet. Mr. London swam to him through the swelling water, paddling like a chicken with his legs and swishing his tail. As he reached Wu, he reached out with his five-fingered hands and climbed onboard.

With London safe, Wu shot Patience a wild, considering look. Then he seemed to make up his mind, kicking and paddling with his powerful limbs, barging past her so closely she could feel the water pressure from his swinging, muscle-packed tail.

(Bob and I are going to get help!) he told her. (We're going to get the others and get you out of this Patience, okay?! You keep fighting until then. Don't you dare give up, you hear me?!) he demanded.

(No, wait!) she shouted. But Wu and Mr. London were already churning off into the flooding swamp forest, branches and bushes cracking and splintering before his massive chest as the Iguanodon steamed through the water. And they left her...just like everyone else had. The anger gave her strength. Fine. She'd not only keep fighting, but get herself out of this on her own. As usual.

* * *

 **Wu**

The Iguanodon must've been a local, for the experience in the bull's mind told Wu exactly what the path of least resistance out of the great cypress swamp was. He followed it, mind churning with panic for Patience as Bob clung to the back of his neck, head down so as not to get whacked off by brush or branches.

The geneticist had to swim for nearly two and a half miles to reach dry land, paddling and sculling through an obstacle course of flooded forest. Neither he nor Bob said anything to each other. They were totally focused on their vital objective (and in the science teacher's case, hanging on) with no time to waste words or work themselves into even worse knots of helpless fear about what was happening to Patience at the moment.

When he saw the edge of the swamp ahead at last, a new determination seized the geneticist, and he churned his legs and arms until they scraped bottom. The water streamed from his three-and-a half ton body as he stood erect and charged out of the water, hind feet pounding the soaked dirt as he almost literally roared out, (Zane! Nedry! Rob! We need you right now!)

(Zane! Nedry! Can you hear us?!) Bob desperately shouted from his perch. (This is not a drill!)

Then, to Wu's intense relief, he heard a voice reply back from higher ground, from behind a hill.

(Whaaa!) came Nedry's voice in galvanized surprise. (Henry? Bob? What the-? What has you two in such a tizzy?) he shouted back.

(An emergency, that's what!) Bob cried even as Wu continued to run on his great hind legs up the gradual slope.

(I'll be right there,) Nedry told them, voice clipped, clearly sensing the teacher's lethally serious tone.

Within seconds he was racing over the hill and down to the wetter ground to meet them, a bemused Harriet in tow as usual.

(What's going on?) he asked as he came up to them, peering up at a panting Wu's face as the geneticist put on the brakes. (The way you're running and the two of you are shouting Henry, one would think that your ass had been lit on fire!)

Wu had absolutely no time for humor and jokes.

( _Where_ are Zane and Muldoon?) he demanded.

(They're sleeping on top of another hill not far from this one,) he replied. (Wait a minute, where's Patience?) he now asked himself in rising concern.

(She's trapped in the swamp,) Wu snapped-panted out, (and the water's rising fast as we speak. Go get them Dennis! Her life is depending on it!)

The troodont's eyes widened, and he gasped in terrified shock.

(Say no more,) he told them, even as he wheeled and started racing back up the hill as fast as his legs could carry him.

Wu meanwhile, turned himself and ran back down to the edge of the expanding swamp, almost beside himself from tension as he bounced and fidgeted impatiently in the shallow water.

Then he heard Zane's voice call out. (Dr. Wu! Mr. London! We're coming right now as fast as we can!)

Bob leapt from his neck, raced through the deepening shallows and streaked partway up the hillside, leaping up and down as he screeched, (We're over here Zane! Just follow me over to Henry!)

Nedry came over the hillside first, a blue blur of feathers as he ran back down to them. Then came Muldoon, craggy, spiky, low-slung Sauropelta body moving in the running jog of a hippo.

Last of all came the vast, moving mountain that was Zane. First his head, then his steadily growing neck, then his huge arched shoulders. And then his entire form appeared over the crest of the hill, running as fast as he could in the deceptively fast amble of an elephant.

No one wasted words or precious time on arrival.

(Where is she?) Zane asked frantically, lowering his wide, stout head down to Wu, eyes large with fear.

(I'll lead you right to her, don't worry,) Wu told him. (And Bob will look for her from above to help out as well.)

(I'd join you chaps if I could,) Muldoon said with a sigh, (but this dinosaur's body would be more of a problem than an asset slogging through that mess. So I'll stay here on dry land with Runt and help guide you back.)

(I'm coming though,) Nedry volunteered, even as he leapt onto Zane's tail and actually _raced_ up his spine to his shoulders, expertly navigating the iguana spikes and flapping his winged arms for power and stability. (If we have to make a vine lasso or something to pull Patience out of her mud hole or whatever, you'll need my engineering knowledge and hands.)

(Lead the way,) Zane told Wu simply, both Bob and Dennis perched like crows on his head.

The geneticist needed no further prompting. Turning his tail on the safety of dry land, against all of both his human and Iguanodon instincts, he plunged back into the swelling swamp, desperately hoping that time was still on their side.

* * *

 **Patience.**

She was surrounded by walls and thick copses of mature cypresses, tropical pines, palms, and redwoods, some with gaps between, some essentially as impenetrable as prison bars.

Trying to keep her head on straight, Patience retraced the route they'd taken as best she could manage. But it had changed too much. She was lost. She glanced down. The water was even higher now! And it would get over even her depth very soon.

Her body could swim, she knew, but there was no safe place to swim to!

She waded or swam down any and every path she could make out. Threw herself at walls of trees again and again. But she could not find her way back to solid ground.

Soon the water was so high that now her feet lost contact with the bottom. Keeping her huge head above the surface, she lashed her tail like a vast crocodile, moving her legs in a pedaling motion.

She shoved through a narrow passage between the barriers of trees and made a sharp right turn. Another barrier of old logs! She'd hit a dead end.

Patience clawed at some bushes-and they broke off in her grasp. She tried to hook her three-toed feet between a pair of great trees, but they splintered underneath her elephant sized body. She hurled herself against the logs, battered them, raked them with her hand claws, and gave both wild roars and internal shrieks of mingled terror and rage. They were the cries of a living being protesting her imminent death.

She was getting increasingly exhausted. She could only struggle and search for a way out, keep her head above water for so long. Until it closed over her head. It wouldn't be long until that happened now, she knew sickly. Already she was beginning to sink…

Suddenly, from her left she heard an almighty splashing on the other side of the dense belt of trees and bushes that hemmed her in. And then a voice.

(I can see her!) Nedry shouted. (She's still keeping her head above water, but we're just in time!)

Then Wu's. (Hang on Patience!) he urged, body producing a squawking trumpet of alarm. (We're nearly there!)

To hear them was like the most beautiful music in the world at that moment, an almost heaven-sent gift. It was a miracle, the only sounds and presences that mattered.

(If you can back up Patience, now's the time,) Zane called from just fifty feet away. (Wu and I are going to bust through.)

(Okay, now do it,) she told them gratefully as she turned away, finding a new strength.

She saw Zane's huge head and telephone pole of a neck appear over the canopy, Nedry and Mr. London hanging on, worried eyes staring down at her.

But it was Henry who assaulted the tangle of trees and vegetation first. Even though he too was forced to swim, he still attacked a part where the trees weren't so thick in diameter, shoving his chest against them, biting vines with his sharp beak, raking brush away with his thumb spikes, softening up resistance for Zane like an icebreaker preceding a battleship.

And then he was through, paddling and kicking to her.

(Are your tail or any of your legs caught?) he shouted.

She shook her head. He seemed relieved.

A sky-filling cracking of wood, of massive trunks splintering as Zane, five times heavier than Wu's Iguanodon, reared up then and pounded his gigantic forelegs against the trees again and again until they lay fallen and uprooted like so many bowling pins.

Then the Astrodon turned his back on them.

(His tail!) Mr. London cried. (Grab the base of his tail!)

The rain slapped at her as she swam forward, thunder roaring and lightning crackling across the sky as she felt underwater for scaly flesh. Then she had it!

While she tried not to dig in too hard with her meat hook claws, Zane still gave a husky, bassoon roar of pain as she latched on, even kicking backwards at her like a horse.

She grunted and yelped as the sauropod's right heel smashed into her chest. But she didn't let go, fighting to keep her head above water as he pounded off through the swamp, steamrolling and kicking down everything in their path to get her to safety. Wu swam on her right, giving her something to lean and rest against, saying encouraging things to her.

In her worn-out state, it seemed like an eternity, but soon they were in water shallow enough for Patience to walk in, and a bit later on wonderful solid ground!

Patience collapsed onto her forward-tilted pelvis, shaking her upper body and then just shaking, staring at all four of them. Her chest hurt from where Zane had kicked her, but she wasn't dare going to complain about that.

Zane and Henry were breathing just as hard as she was, bulging muscles trembling, covered in mud and leaves and pieces of bark. They looked every inch the heroes. _Her_ heroes!

(Thank Christ you're okay Patience,) Muldoon said in relief from atop a hill, peering down at the rescue party with a perplexed Harriet and Runt. The only three of them who had any sense. (You really had us scared there.)

Wu sat down in the ferns and bushes himself, exhaling deeply.

(Well, that was an interesting experience we all just had,) he said laconically. (Let's never do that again.)

(Same here,) Zane agreed.

(You came back,) Patience said in wonder. She had never been so stunned. No one _ever_ came back. Nobody in her life! But they-they had!

Nedry gazed at her with those clear, penetrating eyes, tiny chest heaving, puffs of sharp breath leaving his nostrils. (We could do nothing less,) he told her.

(We're all in this together,) Wu assured her.

Patience nodded. For the first time since arriving here, she could actually believe it.

(Thank you,) she told her rescuers. (Thank you in more ways than one.)

* * *

 **As ever, I deeply appreciate even short reviews. If you have enough time in your day to read a chapter, than you have enough time to leave a few words about whether you liked or hated it too.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for your review, CobaltBatWings!**

 **Here's a new chapter for you good readers to enjoy. Please do let me know what you think of it.**

* * *

 **Will.**

A splitting headache and a sore neck greeted Will as he slowly opened his eyes, realizing he was pinned under the weight of a massive, feather-mantled dinosaur. She snored heavily.

HUNGRY-HUNGRY-BITE-FAVORITE PREY-DEVOUR

 _Jesus Christ, will you cut that out_! Will demanded in his head. The dinosaur pinning him down grunted and jerked a bit.

(This is not a good place to be in,) Will sighed, shaking his head...and immediately regretting doing so as white-hot agony flared in response.

It all came back to him now. She had lunged at him, with the speed and awful grace of a fighting bull, kicking and trying to stomp him, grabbing his side in her sharp beak and flinging him like a rag, kicking him hard again into the wall. His head had struck it hard, and there had been an electric, blinding flash behind his eyes…and he'd remembered nothing more. Now the dinosaur lay with a great fold of her belly jamming him into place against the cavern wall. He managed to twist free a little and felt some of the pressure on him ease. This beast weighed a ton! If she had gotten even one good stomp in, especially from a hind foot, she would've crushed him.

The golden light filtering down through the crack told him it was morning. He certainly _felt_ like it was time for breakfast. He was positive that his stomach counted the minutes between meals.

Very carefully, hoping his claws wouldn't prick her skin underneath the mantle of feathers, Will dragged and eased himself out from underneath the dino's bulk. He felt bruised, sore and stiff all over, and he suspected his tail was broken about halfway from the base. Pain throbbed from where she'd chomped him high on the back with her serrated beak. But things could've been so much worse.

His attacker grunted at his movements, and her eyelids twitched. But she didn't wake.

Gritting his teeth, he gingerly backed away to stand in the light coming down from the thin crack, using it to regard her as best he could. Like the two smaller dinosaurs that had been with her when he'd first been shoved in, she was injured too, he noted. He could see the scabbed blood on her hair-like feathers and smell the freshness of her wounds.

He had a vague memory of dramatic, bloody pictures in dinosaur books, and of Mr. London talking about a few members of a group of plant-eaters called ornithopods. And if Will was correct, she was the subject of those illustrations. A Tenontosaurus-a dinosaur whose bones had been found with the first specimens of Deinonychus.

Where _were_ those other two dinosaurs anyway? He glanced around, sniffing. The vast chamber in which he found himself had a high, curved ceiling with some sharp, jagged spikes of stone hanging from it. The scent of the other two occupants came from the far end of the cavern, past the mouth of what looked like a tunnel entrance.

It was too small for their larger cousin to fit through, but Will thought he could manage it if he went into a head-down position. Even more delightful, he could smell their fresh dung in both the cavern and the tunnel. That meant they had a source of plants they were able to access-a source that could only be located outside! Maybe it was a way to get back to the others!

But…did he really _want_ to see them again? He'd tried to carve out a place, to be popular, and had been hauled away and tossed down here for his troubles. What if Leiman had been right? If he was one of the elite, then at least he would be someone. And he'd know where he stood.

Delicately, he scratched his aching head with a foot. The action, to his horror, made the Tenontosaur stir. She moved much faster than he would've expected from such a massive creature, lunging at him again with a snort and bared beak. He yelped and leapt away, and the next thing he knew, she was standing in front of the small tunnel entrance, blocking it with her body as her tail slowly lashed.

From inside, he heard the two smaller dinosaurs give wheezing snorts of alarm and leap to their feet, clumsily racing further away down the tunnel, claws scraping on stone. The Tenontosaur ignored them, staring coldly at Will. He took a careful step forward, and she clacked her beak in threat.

(You **_want_** me trapped in here with you?) Will asked in disbelief.

His voice in her head made her jerk in surprise, and she raised her head, turning it to gaze at him in interest for a few long moments from her right eye. Then she seemed to snap out of her stupor, and gave a throaty growl.

(Just great,) Will muttered. (I don't get you dinosaurs.)

Once more, the Tenontosaurus cow startled, and stared at him in hypnotized bafflement as he slunk over to his own patch of wall and gingerly leaned his battered, sore body against it. His feather coat had definitely kept the beating from being far worse than it was. (You really did a number on me girl,) he told his hostile companion, never taking his eyes from her.

This was how the elitists lived, just like the rap superstars in the Cypress Hill song of the same name. Separate from all others, not trusting anybody. Their backs to the wall.

(Coming up in the world, don't trust nobody, gotta look over your shoulder constantly,) he sang. (To be a rap superstar, and live large, a big house, five cars in the garage.)

It was actually _liberating_. There were no illusions. No one to impress. If he could just figure out a way to get past the tendon lizard…

Perhaps drawn by the stimulus of his singing, the smaller, pitbull sized plant eaters slowly came back up the tunnel and emerged into the cavern on either side of their bigger cousin, who glanced at, then ignored them.

In the slightly stronger light, he could now see them more clearly. Both were visibly wounded. The one on the left had a crushed right foot, which he kept raising up and favoring, blood dripping from the toes and heel onto the stone. The other male, on the right of the Tenontosaurus, had what looked like a crushing injury to the base of his tail, with a deep cut underneath. Although it was past the level of the hips, it caused him to move with an almost robotic, stiff-legged walk, and Will wondered if the blow had done something to a large muscle in the tail that helped to pull the legs back.

(Hey there,) he said softly.

Caught between their inquisitiveness about his strange telepathic voice and their fear of him as a dangerous predator, the pair came just close enough to be fully illuminated by the jagged crack of light, staring at him with caramel-colored eagle eyes.

Their bodies were also covered in thin, dense green and black feathers which reminded him of a budgie, with the same dark blue patches on their cheeks and yellow heads. On the crown of the left one's head was a large patch of crimson feathers. The dinosaur on the right had a crown of dark green feathers atop his.

Balin and Dwalin, he decided to think of them. Although he knew he probably shouldn't be getting too attached if it could be helped.

WOUNDED-BLOOD-KNOCK DOWN-RIP-TEAR-EAT

He didn't smell any food in this chamber except them, and he didn't know how long he could control himself. As if sensing his internal struggle, Balin and Dwalin backed away to the shelter of the bigger dinosaur.

Maybe Big Guy would notice his absence, and send some pack members after him. Like Buddy and Binky-

A sudden memory brought Will up short. Had they been with Junior and his gang last night? He dimly seemed to recall faces and smells like theirs. But it had also been dark, confusing, chaotic, and his head was a whirl. And he remembered for a fact that Maia had tried her best to prevent their assault on him. Surely they'd have protested as well? It couldn't have been them.

 _Pay attention boy_ , his dad seemed to urge. _There must be something you can do about bitchy Tinkerbell over there, something she'd crave…_

The memory made Will laugh. He'd always remember how once, when he was just eight years old, the family had been watching Disney's _Peter Pan_ together on the couch. At the scene where an envious Tinkerbell had nearly caused Wendy to be stoned to death by the Lost Boys, his father-perhaps a bit tipsy at the time, Will now suspected in hindsight-had bluntly declared, "God, is Tinkerbell ever a jealous bitch!"

"Doug!" his mother had shouted in shock as she'd clapped her hands over her son's ears. "Don't say that filthy word around Will!" That particular movie night had not ended well, needless to say.

Will made a more detailed search of the walls and floor. He discovered roots, small pale plants and seedlings growing in and through cracks in the stone walls. Was this what Balin and Dwalin were living off of?

He collected all that he could, always keeping an eye on his huge roommate, carefully avoiding her, saying a few words to her now and then. If she regarded him more as a fascination than a threat, that would certainly not be a bad thing.

When he'd amassed a decent pile of veggies, he backed off and waited for the Tenontosaurus to chow down.

The dinosaur sniffed attentively, but didn't move from her position.

Next Will made a trail with the plant material, getting as close as he dared to the wounded plant-eaters. Finally, he lost his patience and tossed a big handful of food right underneath her head, then quickly backed off, telling her (It's yours, okay? No strings attached.)

HUNGRY-HUNGRY-HUNGRY

Will growled and whacked his head into the wall, hoping the flash of agony would sweep away and overrule the natural urges he'd been battling for hours.

REND-TEAR-RIP-SLASH-BITE

Even when Balin came forward and hesitantly, haltingly began to feed, the bigger dinosaur was unmoved. Finally, after what felt like hours, she lowered her head and ate the offering. Still, she didn't move very far from the tunnel. Will trotted around her in an arc, trembling and working his jaws with hunger. He was tired and weak and plain ravenous. There'd been no sign of any of the ratlike mammals he'd hoped to find within the mountain. Maybe he should just pick off Balin or Dwalin and be done with it. He'd be releasing them from their misery anyway.

ATTACK-JUMP-PIN DOWN-BITE-EAT-EAT

He stared hard at Balin, smelling the dripping blood. It would be so easy, to run him down, leap on his back, hurl him to the ground, dig in the claws of his feet like a hawk's talons, and start biting chunks of living flesh from his flank as he kicked…

No! Tink would never possibly trust him if she saw him kill another dinosaur right in front of her! He had to focus on a way to move her away from the tunnel opening. All he had to work with were some roots, moss, and the stone around him.

Wait. Everything he needed to make a torch!

Will never took his eyes off of Tink as he set to work, and she did the same. He used his hand claws and teeth to cut a section of two-inch thick root free for the handle, then wrapped thinner roots and some dead leaves that had blown into the cave through the crack around the top. Flint was at hand too.

Soon, despite their fear of him, Balin and Dwalin could not resist drawing closer to watch Will as he struck stones together over some dry moss, again and again until he produced a spark. What _was_ this crazy raptor _doing_?!

In good time, he had a second flame going, causing Balin and Dwalin to bleat in fear and run jerkily about as the light filled the cavern. He touched the tip of the torch to the little fire, and it caught!

As he approached her with the torch, Balin and Dwalin running about frantically, Tink stood up and showed her teeth, uttering an almost electronic, calf-like _gwaa_ of fear. She stood her ground for as long as she could master her terror, then wheeled aside to the left as Will lunged at her with a scream, waving his torch.

He shot into the opening like an arrow, hoping it was indeed a tunnel and not just a big side crevice. He ran ahead, clawed right hand clutching the torch. The tunnel seemed endless. Yet he could smell something quite clearly. The odor of the Tenontosaurus he'd just left behind was still heavy in his nostrils, and Balin and Dwalin had been back and forth through here many times, but this was something different entirely, something sweeter, riper.

He saw a large outcrop of granite just twenty feet ahead. The air felt thicker now. His ears picked up little sounds. Scratching. Rustling. Squeaks. His instincts were screaming at him to leap forward…because down there was _food for the taking_!

From off to his left, Will smelt an even more enticing smell, the odor of fresh water, and heard it trickling down the stone. He was just tortured by thirst…Parched. So, placing one foot in front of the other, he made his way along a four-foot wide ledge, and in a few minutes saw the shine of a two-foot wide veneer of water tricking over flowstone from a thin fracture far back in the rock. Balin and Dwalin had been here before to bathe and slake their thirst, and Will gratefully did the same, lowering his muzzle to a small depression and working his jaws to pump the water in, holding the torch safely away from his feathered body.

No drink had ever tasted so _wonderful_!

When he was satisfied, muzzle dripping, he stood back up and turned to gaze upon a massive cavern that swallowed up his torch's light. He could see great stalactites above that looked like rows of fangs from some ancient dragon. Ribbons of stone snaked among them or down the sides. Glistening water on the formations reflected the firelight, lending the cavern a magical feel, as if lit by twinkling candles set in high stone chandeliers. But Will noticed uneasily that some of those stalactites and stone chandeliers had recently been sent crashing down to shatter on the cave floor. There had definitely been an earthquake here. He just prayed there were no aftershocks in the cards.

He saw the dark pit too, that lay directly in front of him and the craggy, gap-ridden ledge ringing it. To his immediate left, just eight feet from the stream, was a four-foot wide hole punched in the ledge-a sharp and possibly lethal drop off.

But on the right, the ledge was wider, and extended for quite a distance. He traced it for about seventy-five feet, head bobbing and body rocking like a turkey's. It ended in a pile of stone where a thick, blunt stalactite had fallen squarely on the end of the ledge, forming a sort of ramp of broken rock that angled down into the wide pit below. If they were stable, he'd be able to climb down them to reach whatever was rustling, crawling below.

He crouched on the edge of the abyss and saw a very young Tenontosaur at the bottom in the firelight. A female, only seven feet long and with a body the size of a standard poodle. She was dead, and what had killed her was no mystery.

Her head had been neatly pancaked by a fallen rock, about ten pounds in weight. Gruesome, but her death would've been instant, and Will was grateful that she hadn't suffered. Around and on her body were hordes of large cockroaches, and furry mammals, feeding on the dinosaur's flesh. The floor of this chamber, at least fifteen feet below, left his body spoiled for choice when it came to food! He desperately wanted to leap in and start feasting, but there was a very important fact to consider.

What if this was a predator trap, where he couldn't jump high enough to reach the ledge again?

He had to test the rock ladder. Sticking the torch between two rocks at the top, he climbed down as carefully and with as much poise as he could manage, reached the bottom, and cocked his head at the carcass. It was covered in roaches, and he didn't think chowing down on a member of her own species, dead or alive, was going to endear him to Tink.

But he was so fiercely HUNGRY-HUNGRY-HUNGRY.

And he flung himself at the buffet table. The carcass of the "tendon lizard" made a great main course, but the Deinonychus also relished the taste and crunch of the roaches just as much. And the scurrying mammals were fun to snatch and devour, nice and warm.

After filling his crop and stomach, Will groomed himself, then looked around the chamber. He saw several more branching tunnels in the far wall. There might be a way out of here!

The thought both galvanized and terrified him.

He tried to picture himself searching through those tunnels alone, in the dark, like the explorers after being tricked by Laloog in the story King Solomon's Mines. If what lay ahead was _anything_ like the video games he played with his buddies, those tunnels could well lead into an even more complex labyrinth. While he had the advantage of being able to use his powerful sense of smell to backtrack or detect fresh air, he could still get lost. He might never find his way back. Then he'd be utterly alone-until he died. He wouldn't even have Tink, Balin or Dwalin for companionship. And an aftershock could shake the mountain at any time.

On the other hand, there were his fellow students to think of. He had no idea what dinosaurs their awarenesses had ended up in. Other raptors, hopefully. Or at least big strapping long-necks. If not, they could easily end up as his pack's next meal. He had to escape from this place and meet them before they got to the valley. And he'd just had a good, filling lunch, gotten rehydrated.

(No time like the present,) he said thoughtfully.

From the upper chamber, Tink's voice rang. It was a nasal, hollow cry.

Balin and Dwalin could come down here and drink whenever they wanted. But she couldn't. There was no water where she'd been trapped, except maybe condensed dew. He could only imagine how horribly she was suffering from the pangs of thirst.

Will knew it wasn't his problem. Tinkerbell had tried to kill him on sight as soon as he'd dropped into the cavern with her…and nearly succeeded. Besides, she was a _dinosaur_ , an overgrown, pea-brained iguana wearing a costume of feathers that would panic at absolutely nothing. She had no moral consideration, really. Still though…

She cried out again, right down the lower tunnel. That did it.

Sighing, Will turned around and climbed back up the unstable, steep rock ramp to the ledge, where he retrieved the torch. His recon missions would have to wait.

* * *

 **Balin and Dwalin are completely my creations, and once again, are a type of hypsilophodont known as Zephyrosaurus. At the risk of giving too much away, all I'm going to say about them is that it's best to follow Will's own advice and not get too attached.**

 **The way Tink gets her moniker in the actual story never made sense to me. In canon, Will imagines his dad saying "There must be something Tink over there wants..." Hold up now guys. No, really. Because who the fucking hell randomly thinks of a dinosaur, a person, or anything else as "Tink!" Nobody! So I decided to just make it a shortened version of Tinkerbell instead to be much more acceptable, and also give a bit of a look into Will's family life.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Zane**

Miles away from the swamp that had almost claimed Patience, Zane stood on a small hill like a vast giraffe in a winding valley, buffeted by shrieking winds and hissing rain, shivering against the chill. He stared in melancholy at the lead-gray sky.

Their group was scattered for the moment. Mr. London had gone off with Dr. Wu to say how do you do to a breeding herd of Iguanodons Wu had spotted several miles away. Among the Iggies were a half dozen Astrodon, like him. But Zane felt no desire to mingle.

Patience hadn't liked the idea of dilly-dallying if it could be helped, but she owed both Henry and Mr. London in a huge way, so she kept her mouth shut. Runt, after a leafy lunch, had thankfully chosen to hunker down and take a nap, neck curved about and head resting against his left shoulder. On the leeward side of his pickup truck sized body, Nedry slept off a meal of tuber and frogs, body pressed against Runt's for warmth, his red head buried in his back feathers and tail tightly coiled around his torso like that a fox or coyote at rest.

Harriet slept under a partly fallen tree in the same position just six yards away. Muldoon had wandered off to browse, commenting as he did so, (Fine weather for ducks, I'd say.)

Normally, even here in the age of dinosaurs, Zane didn't like to have time on his hands to think. Especially on days when the weather was like this. Not only was it depressing in itself, it reminded him too much of the last time he'd seen his dad. Except then it had been lightly snowing.

Frank had left home and gone off to his job at the insurance company, acting like everything was just fine. But he'd never come back home to his wife and children. Instead, Frank had sent Janet McInerney a long, coolly venomous phone message about why he couldn't stand his life with her and her behavior anymore, and also sent a moving company to pack his possessions and ship them to Tacoma. Not even the decency of a sorry or good-bye…

Janet had deleted her husband's glacial, hateful ramble, and never told Zane or his sisters exactly what their father had said in it. Still, Zane had pieced together enough from his mom's hurt mutterings and tear-choked laments to deduce that his father's message had contained such charming phrases as "queen of the gold diggers," "reason our family is so utterly goddamn dysfunctional," "stupid cow," "whiny little girl," and "common leg-spreader."

(Hey there.)

Zane swung his head around, and gave a nasal, bassoon bugle on seeing an acrocanth practically up in his grill, mouth partly open to expose its teeth! Immediately, he began to rear up defensively on his back legs.

(Sorry!) Patience yelped, drawing back, holding up her hands. (Didn't mean to scare you like that.)

(Nah, I wasn't scared,) Zane assured her as he sunk back down onto his forefeet. It wasn't a lie, even though his footstool sized heart thundered and his legs and belly shook, tail slowly waving. Scared was too mild a word for the emotion he'd felt on seeing a natural enemy so close to him.

(Anyway, I know I already told you this, and I'm not really much good at thank-yous, and heck, it's too weak a word to _ever_ express my appreciation and gratitude to you and Henry,) Patience told him, (but…Thanks so much for saving me in the swamp, Zane.)

(No problemo!) Zane replied. (We're all here to help each other, right?)

(Sorry I had to dig my claws into the thick part of your tail when you were pulling me out,) she added. (I know that had to have hurt like hell.)

(It's okay,) he told her. (They're only skin deep, and you had no other choice at the time.)

Patience nodded, even as she raised her head and gazed off into the distance, at the Iguanodon herd. Following her line of sight, he saw Henry Wu attentively watching two of the cows fighting, rearing up and shoving their chests and shoulders against each other. Gathering observations, like any devoted scientist.

She then did a slow quarter turn and looked intently at Muldoon, crunching palmettos a quarter mile away.

(We can't keep sitting on what we know about how it all turns out-or _will_ turn out-for them anymore Zane,) she said quietly.

(Yeah,) he agreed with a sigh. (I think Wu already half-suspects we know way more than we're telling. They need to know the painful truth. But still…I've never liked to be the bearer of bad news,) he said as he shifted uneasily. (Or to squeal on people, even if they're punks. I make people laugh, not deeply upset.)

(There'll be no easy way to tell them,) she admitted. (I'll drop the bombshell myself, if it's more than you can bring yourself to do,) she offered.

(Thanks Patience,) he said gratefully. (But once you start the reveal, it'll probably make it easier for me to be the fellow dark prophet. I can only imagine how they're going to take it,) he added softly, inwardly cringing.

(Knowing Nedry, he'll deny and try to weasel his way out of trouble to the bitter end, like Scar in the Lion King,) Patience surmised, (until he can't pass it off as a baseless accusation anymore. Then he'll get completely furious, most likely either at us or Mike for somehow knowing what he was planning.)

(Muldoon is definitely going to be royally pissed at Nedry, I know that for sure,) Zane figured as his eyes drifted to the Sauropelta. (You'll be ready to play referee if you have to, I hope?)

(Very much so, believe me,) Patience replied.

They were silent for a few moments. As much as they tried not to, their gazes seemed to drift in tandem back to Wu, who looked so delighted and joyful to be among real, true dinosaurs, learning new aspects of their behavior to be retained and applied to his cloned dinosaurs back in his world, at a place filled with the fruits of his groundbreaking five years of breaking the barriers of genetic technology, of sleepless nights, of false starts, of frustration and mental dead ends, of lonely mental battles and isolation from the rest of the world.

And all of it would ultimately be wiped off the earth in a blaze of falling napalm. Wu himself of course, would mercifully be dead by that point-but also by being slain in the most gruesome of ways.

(It's going to devastate him you know,) Zane said softly, pity rising up in him. (He won't want to accept it as true. I mean, how would you take having someone tell you that you'll end up being disemboweled and eaten alive by raptors?)

(I don't doubt it,) Patience replied. (But I think it'll soften the blow somewhat to immediately remind him that now Nedry won't be able to carry out his plan, that now he'll be able to change his fate and that of the dinosaurs at the park.)

(Yeah. Watching his reaction is still going to majorly suck though,) he said miserably. (But like you said, he needs to know.)

(Even if the secret is totally gutting. No pun intended,) she added as she glanced at Zane. (He deserves better.)

(So,) Zane said, giving a resigned sigh, (we spill the beans at sunset?)

(Good a time as any,) Patience shrugged. (Then we brace ourselves for the fireworks.)

She tilted her head down and tried to force her triangular, bird-like tongue between a pair of jagged, bladelike yellowed teeth. Something was stuck there. It appeared to be a piece of bone.

(But letting the cat out of the bag with the Jurassic Park Boys is only part of the reason I'm here,) she told him, steering their conversation to a different topic. (You see, I've been thinking,) she said softly. (I may have been a little harsh in my reaction towards Will. You know, back in the lunchroom.) She met his eyes and hesitated. (You must know all about that, right? You were in on it. Or am I wrong?)

Zane lifted up a forefoot and slowly waved his tail uncertainly. (The girly-girl plan?)

She nodded gravely.

(Nothing to do with it. For once,) he lied.

(So he really wasn't trying to set me up or make a laughing stock of me? It truly wasn't about me at all? I mean, besides using me. If I said okay to it.)

(He didn't want to upset or hurt you Patience, not at all.)

Her body slumped. (I think I got so angry because he kind of spoke the truth,) she admitted. (I _**do**_ want to get back at that stuck-up butthole Monique. I'd love to make her shut her face in the worst way. It's just the idea of anyone trying to manipulate me, change me, that I'm so transparent, that someone could figure me out and read me like a b-)

(Lance,) Zane cut in quickly. (Lance was the one.)

(You know, whoever it was doesn't matter at this point to me. In fact, I don't care if it was Megatron from Transformers. I feel like transforming myself though.)

(What? Are you serious?)

(Yeah. I want to give it a try.)

Zane blinked and cocked his head in confusion. (If you say so. But why are you telling me?)

(Because you're the one with the four sisters. Teach me what you know.)

He raised his head to his full height, looking to see if anyone else was around. Apparently satisfied with his studies, Wu was casually ambling back in their direction on all fours, chomping his way along as he did so. The thought of having him intruding irritated Zane a little. But then he realized how he could make good use of the geneticist in his plans, which perked him up.

He turned back to Patience again. (You're truly serious?)

(As a judge.)

Zane inwardly grinned like the Grinch as he saw some _serious_ possibilities for fun. And for a little payback for her previous unkind behavior. (All right. If we do this, I'm the one calling the shots. You do what I say, and you don't start in about eating me again.)

(Yes sir.)

At that point, rain trickling off of his scaly flanks, Wu showed up, his herbal-smelling breath puffing into the air.

He seemed like he was about to greet them, or grouse about the weather, but then thought better of it.

(I'm not intruding on anything, am I?) he asked tentatively, even as he made a move to back away. (If I am, I'll just go over and chat with Muldoon instead.)

(You're not bothering us at all Henry,) Zane assured him. (In fact, I'd like to ask you some questions and advice.)

Warming to the opportunity to play the role of educator, Wu asked, (Well, what topic are you interested in Zane?)

(Oh, just wondering if there's anything you can tell us about Chinese culture.)

(Probably. Depends on what you're interested in though,) he said. (If you want to know about things like Buddhism, the symbolism of numbers or colors, general history, I can certainly answer those. If you want to ask me about things like martial arts or traditional operas though, I won't be of much help there,) he shrugged.

(What I'm wondering,) Zane inquired, (is if it's _really_ true that Chinese women tend to very much be girly-girls?)

(By which you mean highly feminine?) Wu replied.

Both Zane and Patience nodded.

(Oh, absolutely,) Wu chuckled. (My mother is a first generation Cantonese-American, and she, my aunts, my two sisters, they're all extremely proper and feminine and respectful around men. There to be seen and seldom heard, for better or worse. And I've seen many women who conduct themselves in a similar fashion when I've visited China in the past.)

(You've actually been to China?) Zane asked in amazement. (Awesome!)

(Yes, three times.) Wu said proudly. (But to answer your question, yes, while it's not as prevalent as it was in the past, Chinese women traditionally tend to be very feminine and modest in their demeanor and behavior. Why do you want to know, if I may ask?)

(Because I want to soften my tomboy ways up a bit,) Patience replied. (And since Zane here has four sisters, he's going to help me learn to be more ladylike. You could probably give me some pointers too, from how your mom and aunts behave.)

Wu hesitated, mulling it over.

(I hope you're not being pressured to change who you are for someone else's wishes Patience,) he said, shooting a suspicious glare at Zane. (In the end, you can only be yourself.)

(I'm not being coerced at all Henry,) she insisted. (I truly want to branch out.)

Wu inhaled thoughtfully.

(All right then,) he said. (I suppose I'll help Zane coach you.)

(Thanks a million.)

He rather _liked_ this. He twisted his long neck and glanced at the small cave where Mr. London had stashed the precious amber key. Although he couldn't think of anyone or anything that would have an interest in swiping it, you still just never knew, and he'd promised to keep an eye on it.

(All right recruit, you heard the man!) Zane barked. (Let's start Proper Lady 101!)

Half an hour later, Zane was just eating it all up. And Patience was trying. Truly trying.

He could tell that she meant it when she told him she wouldn't eat him for lunch, no matter what he asked of her. Of course, that had been before he had started teaching her how to _walk_.

Wu had placed a fairly heavy chunk of stone on her triangular Acrocanthosaurus skull. Her shoulders were rotated back at a hundred degree angle to the vertical, lean hawk chest jutting out, head held high as the tip of her counterbalancing tail dragged the ground. She looked somewhat like Godzilla in this pose.

(Spine straight,) Zane urged. (Are you serious about this or not?) he needled.

Patience gave a low growl. She slowly placed one foot in front of the other, the wind seeming to shout like a bunch of mocking kids.

 _Well, well, just look at the fish out of water, the tomboy trying to be a girly-girl-ha, ha, ha._

Zane _nearly_ felt for her.

(Remember, cast your eyes down at least sometimes if you can,) Wu said.

Patience's ridge-back body was not a human one. For one thing, having her head raised in such an upright position put pressure on her neck, and she'd complained that it made her dizzy, played havoc with her sense of balance.

Yet impressively, she'd been able to walk as far as a hundred feet without the stone sliding off. That was her record. She was drawing close to bettering that record now, just a dozen more steps-

The stone slid to the right. It made a low, muffled plop as it hit the mud. Patience roared in frustration and kneeled down. Her forearms and wrists were stiff, incapable of twisting about like human arm or wrist bones. She couldn't flex her palms upward or very far downward. Still, she managed to clumsily grasp the rock with her tridents of hands and hold onto it as she stood back up.

Rotating her upper arms parallel to the ground, she emitted a deep growl and flung the stone a dozen feet from her in the manner of a chest pass. Her own chest heaved as she returned to her normal counterbalanced posture, and stood trembling, head hanging low, eyes shut.

(This is _not_ working!) she cried.

(You're doing a great job, Patience,) Wu assured her. (Just pace yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day after all.)

(You wanna quit, just say the word,) Zane replied slyly.

 _Ooh, ain't I a stinker,_ Zane thought smugly in a Bugs Bunny voice. _I'm totally enjoying this._

Patience's shoulders slumped. (Not just yet, okay? Sorry about that lapse.)

(I don't think you're treating this with the mindset it deserves,) he said in disapproval, laying it on thick.

(I am!)

(You are one manipulative little devil,) Wu commented, shaking his head. But Zane could sense the amusement lacing his "voice," and was pretty sure he saw a twinkle of humor in those great golden sheep eyes.

(Yes,) he said cheerily. (Yes I am.)

He randomly turned away and lowered his head to stare into a large puddle with cultivated disinterest, opening his mouth and exposing his jutting, peg like teeth in funny faces.

Patience gently touched the tip of her tail into the water, making his image curl and ripple away. (Come on,) she urged. (Let's not quit now.)

Zane raised his long neck and cocked his chunky head. (Then give me the credo,) he slyly requested. (What did Henry's mom say to her daughters while raising them? What do proper girls do?)

She blanched and fidgeted. (Not that, please! I don't want to say.)

(You can't have it both ways. And poor Henry took precious time out of his day to-)

(Fine,) she sighed, then began her recitation. (Girls do not get into or pick fights. Girls do not swear. At least, not when boys or elders are around. Girls don't talk or act too smart. Girls don't get in trouble with the teacher or make spectacles of themselves. Girls always look and dress their best, and don't come across in public as awkward or unkempt. Everything a guy says-)

(I'm not getting that personal aspect from it.)

(Talk about digging the knife in,) Wu commented, even as he chuckled. (No quarter being given here today.)

Patience gritted her ivory fangs. (Everything my man tells me is _the_ most interesting and amazing thing I've ever heard, and every joke he tells is the funniest joke I could ever imagine, even if it's really lame. And whatever movie he wants to see is one _I'm_ really interested in seeing too. The same principle applies if he wants to go _anywhere_ for a good time at all, even if the attraction is one I couldn't care less about.)

Wu was visibly fighting the urge to break out in hysterics.

(More,) Zane prodded, as he made new funny faces.

(Girly-girls hang back and watch. They're not too forceful with their opinions. And-)

Now even Wu was snorting with laughter.

(And they don't actually think of themselves as 'girly-girls.' Or use that phrase out loud.)

(Correct.)

Zane lowered his head and started moving again. His head slowly swung back and forth over the ground, searching something out. (Seriously though Patience,) he said. (It's not a crime to both be bold and have a feminine side. Everyone does. You, me, Will, Nedry, Henry here. Ying and yang, male and female, strong and sensitive. Okay?)

(A balanced nature,) Wu agreed. (Indeed, we all actually start out inherently female as embryos. The nipples on all human chests are testament to that.)

(Yeah well, you two don't have to wear prissy dresses.)

(I would if it'd get me on national TV!) Zane declared. (It worked for Tom Hanks. Now do a sashay with those hips and that tail. I want to see some sway, swagger, bounce, the _boo-tee_ …)

She wheeled on her feet and swung her massive tail.

(Yeah, work it girl!) a highly amused Nedry cheered, who'd woken up from his nap and come over to regard the odd scene. (Own that catwalk, rule that prehistoric dance floor!)

(The hips now, the hips!) Zane urged.

(You're too sexy for Milan, too sexy for Milan, New York and Japan!) Nedry sang playfully, gleefully.

Patience obeyed, She clearly looked like she hated and was embarrassed by it, but she did it. (What does this make my butt look like guys?)

(I dunno, like a gigantic flesh-eating dinosaur's?) Nedry shrugged.

(Ask me again when we get home,) Zane relied. (Now up on those tippy-toes.)

(Her body is technically already standing up on its toes,) Wu pointed out.

Ignoring the geneticist, Zane went on, (You've got to get used to that if you're going to wear heels.)

Patience ground to a stop, the quills on her back rising. (High heels? Those torture devices for woman's feet?)

(Could be worse,) Wu said gravely. (At least you don't live in a culture that practices the awful abomination known as foot-binding,) he pointed out, seeming to give a visceral shudder. ( _Both_ of my grandmothers had it done to them as young gir-)

(Okay there Henry!) Nedry said thinly as he raced over to the Iguanodon and actually placed his clawed hands on his beak. (I think that's enough of a "Screwed-up moments in women's fashion" history lesson for today from you.)

(Oh God, I actually saw pictures of bound feet in a book once,) Patience shuddered. (They were all smushed up and like the size of pig hooves.)

(Fortunately, no one's asking _that_ much of you,) Zane said, somewhat eager to get back on topic. (All we're dealing with are heels. I mean, flats and a dress? Nuh-uh. That just won't do.) He was still scanning the ground.

(Just don't go running in them,) Nedry added. (Not if you can help it. My sister once fell and broke her wrist trying to run in heels.)

(Zane, what are you doing?) she asked in bemusement.

(Looking for rocks.)

(What type?) Wu asked.

(Flint.)

Patience nodded. (You feel like starting a fire?)

(I wouldn't mind having one right now, especially on a miserable rainy day like this,) Nedry said wistfully. (Living like this really makes you realize how much in civilized life we take for granted. We won't be able to get back home too soon.)

(I'd appreciate a fire right now too,) Wu sighed in agreement, nodding.

(Is flint like the only type of rock you can use to make sparks?) Zane inquired. (And what does flint even look like, anyway?)

(If I'm remembering what I was taught in Boy Scouts even halfway correctly,) Nedry said, cocking his slim red head in thought, (flint has a waxy or glassy look to it, and is generally brown, black, or gray in color. And as far as I know, it's the only type that you can make sparks with.)

(I know that flint breaks and chips in little curves too,) Wu added.

Sighing as she cocked her gracile triangular head at Zane to fix him with her right eye, Patience commented, (We're not actually talking about any practical purpose here, are we? I mean, you're not spontaneously thinking, huh, if we had torches and somehow protected them from the rain, we could safely cover more territory at night, or we could keep away dangerous locals, or keep warm, or anything remotely useful like that, are you?)

Zane lowered his neck in embarrassment slightly.

(Not exactly, no.)

(This rain is bone-chill-) Nedry began, about to plead his case.

 _Psssstt-bbbbrrmmmmph-BROOF!_

(Oh gross, who had the baked beans for dinner?) Nedry complained, Wu snorting and flicking his head as an emission of noxious, skunky fumes drifted over them. They all turned to look at a now-awake Runt, the skin around his cloaca fluttering as he chomped conifer twigs.

(Not a pleasant odor,) Wu muttered.,

(Yugh, no kidding,) Nedry groaned as he moved out from downwind. (The Godzilla of all farts!)

Patience showed her teeth and shoved her huge face right up to Zane's, who cringed back as she growled. The quills on her spine, despite the wind, went vertical, like an enraged cat's, and she uttered a cough of threat.

(You were thinking about lighting up one of his far-)

(Yes. I admit it.)

Nedry immediately sat down on the ground, cackling like a witch at the hilarious concept. (Boom!) he yelled through his laughter, throwing his hands up in the air.

She snarled, (That's just sick and wrong! What could you possibly be thinking?)

(That it would be funny as hell, that's what!) Nedry volunteered, beside himself with laughter. (Like something out of goddamned Looney Tunes!)

(At least two of us here are still able to be mature,) Wu sighed disapprovingly.

Zane's head wobbled with barely repressed mirth. (Dennis gets it, to make a long story short.)

(Yeah, it'd be like Wile E. Coyote shooting off to the horizon on an ACME rocket!) Nedry guffawed.

(You'd scare him so bad we'd never get him back!)

They all looked at each other for a few moments, considering… Nedry seemed to be grinning, touching his fingers together as he shot Runt a glance, and then Harriet.

(That's still just sick and wrong,) Patience firmly insisted.

(It'd make my day if someone lit stupid annoying Harriet's tail on fire,) Nedry spoke up. (Get her racing off like a comet-)

(Dennis!) Wu chided in shock. (That's cruel to even think about!)

(Pot, meet kettle,) Nedry replied scornfully. (Don't even start lecturing me about being cruel Henry, because you don't have a leg to stand on. After all, I know that you must've had _dozens_ of dinosaurs put to sleep just because they didn't develop right, or acted too "difficult," or simply committed the _horrible_ sin of not looking and behaving as you expected them to look and behave. So get off your high horse.)

(Many of those dinosaurs were already suffering and in misery from genetic defects and disorders, engaging in behaviors that caused them confusion and pain,) Wu immediately fired back. (Would you have rather had me and my staff stand back and either let them slowly die in agony or live lives of torment and self-destructive behaviors? That's morally an order of magnitude away from committing wanton cruelty just for the sake of a cheap laugh!)

Ignoring their dust-up, Zane said, (Well, I would've needed your help, anyway,) raising one of his massive half-moon feet, with only the thumb claw resembling anything like a digit. (Or Nedry's. Loss of manual dexterity is rather an issue for me in this body.)

Patience very deliberately turned away, found a rock, and pounded her head against it in frustration. Runt came over, tried it as Nedry laughed, quickly discovered he didn't like it, and then wandered off.

(Patience, don't-)Wu began in concern.

Muldoon's voice interrupted them then.

(Oh Christ!) he said fearfully from about a half mile away.

(What Rob?) Wu asked, picking up on the Sauropelta's agitation as their heads all swiveled in his direction. (Is something wrong?)

(Oh yes,) he replied. (All of you, gather together and keep your eyes and noses sharp,) he commanded. (I just came across fresh predator dung-a big predator at that-and I'm going to go collect Mr. London and guide him back here,) he told them, turning with surprising poise and galloping off toward the Iguanodon herd. (The rest of you, stay put, and make a stand if it tries for anyone.)

Muldoon's announcement galvanized all four of them, and they shuffled together, Patience standing tall and growling as she scanned the open forest.

Automatically, Zane did the same, doing a nearly three hundred degree sweep for any sign of danger. None was visible, and he risked a glance at the ledge where they'd stashed the all-important amber key.

Wu must've been checking on it too, for as the gut-churning realization struck Zane, the understanding that the picture was different, the geneticist cried, (My God, it's gone! Someone's taken it!)

Patience gave a sharp gasp, then turned towards Nedry.

(Nedry, do you know where it is?) she asked him. (Did you go put it in a place where you thought it'd be safer? Or could it be possible Harriet snatched it?)

(I've been occupied this whole time either by eating, sleeping, or watching you strut your stuff, so don't look at me,) he denied in swelling consternation, holding up his hands. (And if I'd decided to move it to a better spot, I'd have told at least one of you. Oh God, the key's gone!)

(Did Mr. London maybe take it with him when you and him went Iguanodon watching?) Zane addressed Wu.

(No,) Henry replied, shaking his horse head. (Of that I'm positive.)

(And I'm also positive that Harriet had nothing to do with it either,) Nedry thinly added. (She showed some mild interest in it for the first few hours after I found it, but since then has ignored the key. Wherever it is, we need it back PDQ!)

As Nedry frantically looked around for any sign of the precious item, and Zane fought the urge to panic, both Wu and Patience stood tall, sniffing the air and drawing it into their huge snout chambers.

(The wind was coming towards us, taking our scent back to whatever took the amber,) Wu said, (and there's a long, fairly deep gully over there,) he gestured with a snow-mitt hand. (That's how it got so close.)

(Okay,) Zane mechanically replied, consumed by panic. This wasn't happening! Their only possible ticket back home couldn't have been stolen!

(Unless it came from the air,) Nedry panted as he glanced meaningfully at the pouring sky. (Jesus, if that key is in some pterodactyl nest right now, we are so screwed! We're never going to _possibly_ find it and get-)

(Dennis,) Wu interjected. (Dennis, listen to me. Does this look like the type of weather a pterosaur would want to go flying in-or at least, very far?)

(Well, no. Not if it could help it at least,) the programmer admitted.

(Then that means we're almost certainly dealing with a thief that has its feet firmly on the ground. Just give Patience and I a few minutes to sniff them out,) Wu requested as he got on all fours and lowered his muzzle close to the ground, tail waving as he began to methodically search. Patience was doing the same.

After a few tense minutes, she hit pay dirt.

(I've got its scent!) she cried out, raising her head. (It's another Acrocanth that did it!)

Wu trotted over and sniffed as well.

(Yes,) he confirmed. (It's a ridge-back. But why would it possibly want a thing like that, with no practical use?)

(Who knows? Who cares?) Patience dismissed, even as she gestured with her tail at the gully leading up toward them and where it curved out of sight around a hill, close to the path they'd been taking up the valley. (He definitely used the gully to get close to us. I can track him and get it back, but I'm doing this mission on my own, no hangers-on.)

(Alone?) Nedry said in shock. (Are you cuckoo?)

(Isn't that dangerous?) Wu replied. (Please Patience, at least wait a few minutes for Muldoon so he can go with you. He's already nearly back with Mr. London.)

(A smart cop doesn't dive in without backup,) Nedry earnestly agreed.

(By yourself?) Zane said in equally worried surprise, trying to keep the quiver out of his voice.

(Backup just slows you down and gives you away,) Patience growled scornfully as she wheeled and began pounding off towards the gully at a clip.

(Wait for Muldoon!) Wu yelled imploringly.

 _This could be a trap_ , Zane thought in horror. _One ridge-back could be trying to lure you away so that we'll be unprotected when the others come!_

(Patience, don't!) he hollered, giving a bulging screech through his nasal chambers.

But she was already out of sight.

Wu stood on his hind legs and ran in her direction for a hundred yards, then came to a stop, standing tall and uncertain, growling and waving his thick tail in consternation as he looked from Zane and Nedry, then back to where Patience had gone.

(Henry, don't,) Nedry said, sensing what was on the Iguanodon's mind. (Stay here to help protect us if we're attacked.)

(Don't deprive us of another man at a time like this,) Zane begged.

But Wu seemed to make up his mind as he turned around to face back in the direction Patience had boldly just gone, taking a deep, fortifying breath.

(I'm going to go get her,) he said quietly. (She'll need extra muscle.)

(Henry,) Nedry pleaded. ( _Think_. If there are more than one Acro where the key is, they will kill you. Do you understand that?)

(I know that!) he shot back. (But Patience might be putting herself in equally serious danger. Someone has to go provide her with backup, help her fight if she has to, and then make sure she gets back alive with the amber key,) he argued, even as he broke into a forward-tilted, pounding run through the brush. (And this body will be the best for those tasks out of all of ours.)

(Henry, don't be daft!) Muldoon, now climbing the other side of the hill, shouted out.

(I'll be okay,) Wu promised as he raced off. (Just stay with Zane and the others. I'll be back with Patience and the key shortly.)

(Don't get yourself pointlessly killed trying to play the hero, damn you!) Muldoon bellowed.

But it was too late to divert Wu's resolve, and they could all only watch as he thundered off.

Zane resigned himself to playing periscope and kicking a rock in helpless frustration.

* * *

 **The nasty phone message sent by Zane's father is my own creation. Once more, a review would make me highly happy!**


	12. Chapter 12

**And here's where things get both pretty sweet and pretty weird.**

 _"Oh God/I think I've changed!"_ Prettiest Girls, Pharrell Williams.

" _There may be no exit, but hell, I'm going in!"_ Desperation Samba, Jimmy Buffet.

* * *

 **Henry.**

There are times in a person's life where they do something that shocks them to the core, where they realize that they have a deep, hidden aspect to them that they never would've guessed at. And this realization was sweeping over Henry Wu as he chased after Patience, knowingly and deliberately following her into the lion's den. Or Acrocanthosaur's, if you liked.

What had come _over_ him? Why was he putting himself in serious danger for a girl he hardly knew, whose current body was much more capable of protecting itself? And why had he done a similar thing in the swamp?

The empirical, analytical portion of Wu's mind, the one which served him so well as a geneticist and man of science, whispered some suggestions. And even displayed a handy flow chart.

At first, he'd been drawn to Patience and the others partly to get to know them better, since they'd be having to put up and travel with each other day in and day out until they got to Ground Zero. In other words, it suited him to be sociable. It was also not an unwelcome benefit to have Patience, inhabiting the body of this ecosystem's dominant predator, around as a ready bodyguard!

But then she'd talked about the life she had back at home, in her universe, with the Mushnicks...who clearly couldn't and didn't care about much more than the money they received for having her as their ward.

 _Stan and Judy tell me that I'm lucky because I know what my life's worth._

The idea of any child having someone tell them such a cold and callous thing haunted him.

Henry Wu was a scientist through and through. He looked at life and the world with a strong quality of calm logic and academic detachment, thinking, measuring, considering things in terms of simple data and verifiable facts. He didn't think of himself as very sentimental in nature.

But his heart also wasn't made of stone, and like anyone else who'd "been around the block," so to speak, he respected and sympathized with suffering whenever he encountered it.

Patience had made it very clear that she didn't require or desire anyone's pity. She had an inspiring degree of inner strength and an iron will. But still…

Wu could only begin to imagine what other awful, degrading things her foster parents had told her. (Or perhaps even _done_ , he thought). And the very thought made him feel slightly ill.

He halfway still couldn't believe he was allowing himself to become so emotionally invested in her, this headstrong girl who he would only know for a total of three days.

 _What have you done to me Patience?_

But he thought he knew. Wu was aware that girls, as a general rule, worshiped their fathers, looked up to and adored them. Unfortunately though, Stan Mushnick didn't come across as much of a hands-on-or even halfway decent-father figure, from what Patience had said about him.

Henry Wu could be though. He could reach out, try in some small way, to fill that role for her.

Wu suspected a big part of why he'd found himself slipping into that paternal role with a surprising ease was because the extremely odd position they were all in had frankly left him without much of an option. There were a total of four adults piloting the bodies of dinosaurs in their group...him, Muldoon, Mr. London, and Nedry.

If they'd been in their human bodies, it would've been natural for either Muldoon or Mr. London to be the one to step forward and be the leader, the voice of experience and authority.

But they _weren't_ in their human bodies! Zane and Patience were currently possessing the bodies of gigantic _dinosaurs_ , the latter an apex predator at that, and Wu's Iguanodon bull was the only one out of all the adults in their size range, the only one that could come across as impressive or imposing.

Again, this placed him in something of an uncomfortable, weird position.

Wu wasn't all that used to being in the role of authority, especially over kids. But he also wanted Patience to treat Zane and the others with respect. And he certainly wanted Zane, who he knew was far more intelligent than he was willing to show the world, to also have respect for himself.

So it had naturally and primarily fallen to him to keep the peace, and to be the group's "Dad." Whether he wanted to be or not.

And then in time, his initial pity and sympathy, his somewhat reluctant acceptance of the job of disciplinarian, had transformed into a feeling of comraderie. And of fondness.

He simply _liked_ Patience!

Why else would he have swum nearly five miles round trip through a flooded, tangled, obstacle course of a swamp to get help for her when she was trapped and drowning? Plunging back into that morass had gone against every one of both his human and Iguanodon instincts. But he hadn't given it a second thought.

True, some of his motivation for rescuing her could be attributed to pure altruism, and some of it could definitely be pinned on the very practical fact that if she and her acrocanth body died, he and the others very likely would then _never_ be able to get back home. But it didn't change the fact that he'd also done it simply because he'd grown to care for her.

Back home. The thought made a here-and-gone longing sweep through the back of his mind, an insane wish and vision of having Patience with him on Isla Nublar, him sitting by her bed and bidding her good night every evening in his bungalow…

He shook his head. Where had _that_ come from? Ridiculous, thinking of adopting and taking on a kid! And it would be cruel too, to take her away from her friends, her school, and everything else that she knew.

At any rate, nor was he giving a second thought about running after her, right in the direction of at least one "uncontrolled" acrocanth. Or perhaps more.

Nedry's desperate, no-nonsense warning rang in his mind.

 _If there are more than one Acro where the key is, they will kill you. Do you understand that?_

Oh yes. He most certainly did. But he couldn't live with the idea of just letting Patience go for the key alone, no matter how large and well equipped for fighting her body was.

* * *

 **Muldoon**

(Damn it, Henry, come back!) Muldoon shouted in frustration as he saw the Iguanodon, running on two legs like the hounds of hell were after him, disappear from sight. But Wu's mind was clearly made up, the silly fool.

Desperate to stop him, alive with tension, Muldoon sent his Sauropelta body into a stiff-legged gallop, like a hippo's, barreling through bushes and ferns that caught on his spikes and scraped his armor.

But he was brought up short when Zane shouted, (Don't leave us too Muldoon! We need you here! You're the only one that can protect us now if we're attacked!)

(Listen to him!) Nedry agreed. (Safety in numbers.)

Yes, safety in numbers. So Muldoon came to a stop. They were right. Zane, London, Nedry, they would all be up a creek if a group of raptors or another rex-sized acro attacked, and he was the only one left now that could really say something about it if that happened. Thanks to how Henry had decided to lose his head and go chasing off after Patience.

And with these short, stumpy legs and low-slung body, he'd never be able to catch up to them in time to be of use anyway. He had to stay and protect the others.

(Bloody damn fools!) he helplessly snapped in the direction Wu and Patience had gone, snorting and pawing the ground in anger thrice before turning around and trotting back up the hill, long tail lashing in irritation.

(So, what should we do now?) Zane asked as he looked down at Muldoon from the sky with his right eye, bending his great giraffe neck.

(Not terribly much we _can_ do,) Muldoon sighed as he shook his elongated head and kicked a stone. (We just wait for at least one of them to come back I suppose.)

(Yeah, _if_ they come back,) Nedry muttered in pessimism. (Maybe we should _all_ go to back them up, provide even more muscle, you know?)

(I wouldn't be too worried Dennis,) Mr. London reassured him. (If the behavior of modern birds of prey and large flesh-eating reptiles today is any indication, Henry and Patience will most likely be dealing with only a single Acrocanthosaurus, and will be well able to defend themselves against its aggression.)

(And Patience did have a good point when she said that the best course of action was to have her get the key back herself,) Muldoon added. (Get in, and then get out, without anyone slowing her down or fouling things up.)

(Great use of opposites there Rob,) Zane said approvingly.

(Thank you, although I didn't lay it out that way deliberately.)

(Anyhow, what's your take on what Wu and Patience are up against? I mean, you're the game ranger at Jurassic Park, and you work every day with huge theropods,) he pointed out, even as he lifted his head and gazed nervously in the direction both of them had gone.

(Yes, but none of them are ridge-backed acros,) Muldoon cautioned. (The closest things we have at the park would be the rexes. As you might already know from reading the book your universe's Michael Crichton somehow conjured up about us, the rexes are solitary like leopards, although I suppose if you had a grown male and a female, they might associate with each other, at least during breeding season.)

(I know that with modern birds of prey like eagles,) London put forth, (when they are breeding, even then there's usually always one parent that stays at the nest to keep the eggs warm and protect the chicks.)

(Yes, that's right,) Muldoon agreed. (So even then, Patience and Henry will most likely still be facing only one acro, or at most two for the key. An even ratio.)

(What about the dilophosaurs?) Zane asked, inexplicably giving Nedry a strange, cringing, half-horrified glance. Why in the world had he given him such a look?

(Do they form packs at all? The novel didn't say anything about if they did,) he added.

(They don't,) Muldoon replied. (Again, they sometimes form pairs for a while, but never gather in greater groups than that.)

(So it sounds in other words like Henry and Patience probably won't have an unfair fight on their hands if they do have to mix it up with any giant ridge-backed death lizards then,) Nedry said. (That's a major relief.)

(It's unlikely,) Mr. London agreed. (Unless,) he added, (Acrocanthosaurs are anything like ravens, in which pairs will often gather together in larger groups outside the breeding season to facilitate foraging and for mutual protection, or like jackals, where mature pups will often stay with their parents for a considerable time to aid in rearing their siblings.)

(You mean…there's a chance Wu and Patience could be dealing with a _pack_ of acros?) Zane gasped, eyes widening with fear.

(Their brains are much too small for them to display that sort of behavior,) Muldoon told him. He hoped so, at least. But if it turned out that like vultures in the bush, they were social creatures...may God truly help both of them, he thought.

(At any length,) he sighed as he turned back to stare in the direction the other two had gone, (the best thing for us to do is to sit tight in this area and try not to worry too much. Not that we'd gain much by it anyway. I'll tell you this though,) he added. (We _need_ that amber key back. And if neither Patience nor Wu comes back with it in five hours, I'm following their trail and getting the key myself.)

(And you're not going to be going alone,) Zane vowed.

* * *

 **Henry**

Small mammals and lizards bolted from underneath Henry Wu's feet, and primitive toothed birds with claws on the wrists of their wings flew up before him as he barreled through the dripping brush, head and neck thrust forward.

It did not take long for him to chase down the ridge-back. Only ten minutes in fact.

She was running at an easy jog, head held fairly close to the ground.

(Patience, wait a bit!) he urged as he fought the Iguanodon's desperate urge to head the other direction and drew closer.

Coming to a stop, she stood tall and turned, glaring at him with those ocher eyes, set in a four-foot long skull.

(Henry?) she asked in surprise. (What are you doing following me!?) she demanded in irritation. (Didn't I make it clear that I didn't want anybo-)

(I know, and I'm sorry to disobey you,) Wu cut in, (but I felt one of us needed to come along, in case you might need help.)

(Uh-huh,) she said skeptically. (Look, I'm not stupid,) she growled at him, exhaling through her nostrils in exasperation. (I know how you are, and I know that you simply just couldn't resist the idea of tagging along to see how real, true giant meat-eaters behave. Well, did you ever hear the saying, "Curiosity kill-")

Somewhat taken aback, Wu blinked before replying, (That's not the reason at all Patience. In fact, that never even crossed my mind for a moment,) he said sincerely. (I'm here because I'm concerned about you, just like in the swamp.)

(Well, thanks, but no thanks,) she told him curtly, waving her tail and raising her quills in irritation. (If anyone's safety is at risk here, it's _yours_ Henry. Go back and stay with Zane,) she commanded. (The key is enough of a responsibility for me already without having to worry about you too.)

(I don't think you need to worry about me,) he assured her. (This Iguanodon body can protect itself just fine. It's big, has a powerful sharp beak, a big, strong and stiff tail, sharp thumb spikes, feet that can stomp and kick, sheer bulk-)

(We interrupt this message for a reality check,) Patience snapped. (First of all, your Iguanodon body is still smaller than mine by what, two tons?) Patience said grimly. (Nor does it have a killer instinct or anything remotely like these claws and teeth,) she pointedly added, displaying her yellowed blades in a deliberate yawn. (Do you honestly want to go up against an adult acro in that?)

(Can't say I do. You'll be better off with me for back-up though, if you have to fight this one for the key.)

(Henry. For the last time, back off and let me do this the efficient way. I can take care of myself, by myself, okay?)

(Oh, I know that you can Patience,) Wu carefully responded. (And I don't want to come across as insulting or thinking that you're weak.)

(Could've fooled me,) she growled.

(I just want to be there for support if you need it,) he told her. (I'm glad you're independent. But there's also no shame in allowing people who care about you to lend a helping hand.)

The instant Wu realized what he'd just said, his eyes widened and he jerked back. Patience did too.

Their eyes met. A brilliant geneticist who had cracked the secret to cloning dinosaurs, and an ordinary tomboy who attended a high school in Montana and lived in a foster home, each from both entirely different universes and circumstances. Of a gigantic predatory dinosaur and its prey. And in those several silent, awed seconds, something passed between them, stirred in Henry Wu's heart.

Patience blinked slowly. Her face was incapable of forming the complex expressions of mammals. But in her eyes, Wu still thought he could see shock. And blissful joy. He'd just told her, flat out, that he cared about her.

And Henry wondered if anyone had ever told her anything like that before. The thought couldn't help but make him feel deeply sad.

(I can't believe this,) she whispered. (Wow.)

Then the spell was broken as she shook her hulking head and turned away.

(All right,) she said softly, amazement still lacing her voice. (I guess you're welcome to come along as extra muscle and help out however I might need it then. But if I think that we've gotten ourselves in a situation where we're over our heads,) she warned, (don't argue or try to play the big hero, all right? Just beat it. There's a difference between being loyal, and just being plain stupid.)

(Oh, I'll exhibit a healthy amount of prudence, don't worry about that,) he assured her.

(Good,) she replied simply, in satisfaction as she broke into a trot once more. (Now let's find that key. Together.)

* * *

 **Patience.**

With Henry at her left side, choosing to walk on all fours most of the time, Patience followed the thief's trail for nearly two hours through the forest and hills. It led them to a high, tree-covered hill that overlooked a maze of box and slot canyons. The rain had tapered off, and now the yellow light of midmorning shone down in shafts among the branches as she and Wu laid among the ferns and bushes on their pelvises and assessed the situation.

Patience didn't like what she saw. She'd assumed they'd be dealing with one or two Acrocanthosaurs. She'd been badly mistaken. There had to be at least a dozen adult and subadult acros down there in that complex of canyons! It reminded her of an image from a picture book she had been given at the orphanage, a book of mazes.

Twenty feet on her left, she saw Wu jerk back, practically blanching as his goat pupils dilated and his tail began to softly wave.

(That's quite a few more acrocanths than I was expecting to encounter,) he said shakily.

She cocked her head tellingly at him. (No kidding. You still have plenty of time to back out you know-which I highly recommend you do. Unless you really do have a death wish.)

(And leave you to face them alone?) he said doubtfully.

She was definitely not liking that prospect.

(Maybe they know this acro,) she shrugged. (Or maybe, since I'm female, I can charm my way out of a beating.)

(And what if those maybes turn out to be too optimistic?) Wu asked gravely.

(Then I fight,) she said simply. (Go in and get out with all guns blazing.)

(Well, first let's just watch them for a while,) Henry suggested. (Get a sense of their mood. If they seem peaceable enough, I could probably even safely approach them.)

(Are you insane?!) she growled in shock, cocking her head at him. (Those things are _predators_ Henry, and you're their prey! You might as well go to the zoo and jump into the grizzly bear exhibit with a necklace of T-bone stea-)

(I know it sounds like madness,) Wu agreed, (but if you've ever observed the behavior of lions and other big carnivores when they're at rest or after a successful hunt, they will often allow wildebeest, impala, and other prey animals to approach remarkably close without making any attempt to attack them.)

Patience thought of nature shows she'd seen, with gazelles, buffalo, and other herbivores standing around and even grazing within yards of sleeping or strolling lions and cheetahs. He made a good point.

(But what if they decide you're just too much of an easy target to ignore? My cats will sometimes kill mice and things even after I've fed them.)

(That's why I'll be very careful when getting close. At any rate, let's see what the group's mood is first.)

So they did. Things looked fairly laid-back, quiet enough. The acrocanths moved around through the canyons and over the trampled area of ground in front of the double entrance, lying on their bellies or sides, hanging out, meeting up with and greeting each other by touching snouts. Not exactly what she'd expected from such huge carnivores. Maybe this really was their downtime. But how would they react when she-and especially the big, yummy Iggy bull inhabited by Henry Wu-entered the equation?

But someplace in this "camp" was the amber key they desperately needed-or so her powerful sense of smell told her. All the scents led her to here. And speaking of scent, Wu's Iguanodon was making her start to drool…

She blinked and shook her head as she stood up.

Fixing Wu with a hard gaze, she exhaled sharply before telling him, (Look Wu. I know that yes, you're the adult here, and I'm just the minor. And I know you came with because you care about me, which is very nice.)

Standing up himself, Wu held up a mitten hand, replying (Patience, I appreciate the risk I'm about to take full well, trust me. It's just that I can't in good cons-)

( _I can handle myself_ ,) she said forcefully. (And I care about you too, which means I don't want to see you get killed.)

(No one is going to get killed if we go in and face the danger together,) Wu said stubbornly. (Look at how many possible opponents there a-)

(I see them, okay?) she fired back. (But I can fight and know their habits much better than you. I don't need you in the way.)

(You are not going down there alone,) Henry growled in determination. (Do you hear me young lady?)

(Henry. Get out of here. While you still can.)

(You see that one really big male down there in that box canyon off to our right?) she went on, gesturing with her snout. (His face is covered with tooth scars, which means he's probably been in a dozen fights during his life and won them all. Go explain to him how you're an amazing master geneticist and have a doctorate in your field. I'm sure he'll be super impressed-right before he tears your throat out.)

(Something tells me you'll regret not having me for support when four or five acros are tearin-)

(Henry, I'm serious! I'm one of these dinosaurs, know how to interact with them. But you're fair game, as far as they're concerned. You're not a friend, you're meat!)

A few moments of silence.

Patience began to feel relieved. Had she finally gotten Wu to see reason, understand how dangerous and undesired his impulse to help was? It certainly seemed like the full implications were now sinking in for him…

(But I'm meat that can think and plan,) was his reply, opening his beak in what seemed like a knowing grin.

She was flabbergasted. Had he lost his mind?

(What are you even _talking_ about?) she demanded in shock. (Yeah, you're smarter than the average Iguanodon bull, but how are you possibly going to outfox or outsmart an entire acro pack if they come for you? You certainly can't outfight or probably outrun them.)

(Remember how when we first met Zane, he had an honest-to-God massive blanket draped over him?)

(Yeah, very well. You counting on protecting yourself by conjuring up a super magic blanket of your own?) she barked in skeptical laughter. (I'm sure they'll _really_ be intimidated by that stunt,) she sardonically added. (Just like by how telling them you're the chief geneticist for Juras-)

Wu chuckled as well, in a I-know-something you don't tone.

(Oh, I've got a trick worth ten of that up my sleeve,) he confidently assured her.

(What exactly are you planning to unleash on them?) she asked, curious. (Monsters like Yetis, or Ghidorah or something?)

(All I'll say is that that's for me to know, and you to find out in good time,) he seemed to grin. (Just keep a healthy distance away from me though. I don't want them to associate you with my nasty surprise.)

Patience hesitated, glancing at him doubtfully.

(You're not actually going to hurt any of them, are you Wu?)

(Oh, not at all,) he assured her. (The only lasting harm they might suffer is to their pride. No, it'll be nothing worse than a harsh lesson to teach the acros that they're a lot better off just leaving me alone.)

(Well, if you think you've thought up a good psychic ace in your hole, then let's do this,) she said simply, steeling herself for a fight as she stood up, revealing herself, and started grimly heading down a game trail that led to the camp. Henry walked through the forest eighty feet on her left.

(I can't imagine why one of them would've taken the amber key,) she softly pondered out loud. (What possible use would it be to them?)

(Hard to say,) Wu responded. (Ravens and magpies will form caches of objects that they find interesting or aesthetically pleasing though, and male bowerbirds will decorate their bowers with objects that they know or feel will make it more attractive to a female of their species. Satin bowerbirds for example, will gather any blue objects they can find, whether they be plastic spoons, feathers, bottle caps, butterfly wings, or candy wrappers. For all we know, acrocanths might do something similar.)

(But then again,) he added, shrugging his massive shoulders, (who can say for certain? These are creatures whose behavior we know essentially nothing about, and it may be even odder than any of us have dared to speculate.)

They slipped back into tense silence.

Henry made a very valid point, Patience thought. When it came down to brass tacks, who knew exactly why ridge-backs did anything? But her best guess was that pain-in-the-ass Number 47 had taken it. That particular dinosaur was down there with the others, along with The Green Knight-the acro who'd taken a bite of flank steak out of Zane shortly after arrival.

His scent, the thought of seeing him again, generated a longing within her she'd rarely felt. It must have had something to do with her body's urges and instincts.

Trapped in a love struck acro. Wonderful.

As Patience trod down the hill, she shot a clandestine, puzzled glance at Wu, thinking about her previous decision to accept "girly-girl" lessons from him and Zane. Had her host inadvertently influenced her?

 _Of course not!_ She wanted to see Monique with egg on her face, plain and simple.

If Number 47 was anything like Monique, she'd be drawn to any sparkly, shiny, unusual object. Bling, basically. And if she had somehow picked up on how the key was important to Patience, then that would've added to the allure.

 _If someone says I can't have something, then that's the best reason to want it._ Which was exactly what stuck-up Monique would think. Not that Patience was innocent of that motivation herself.

After all, there had been a period in her life-longer than she cared to admit-when Patience had been a chronic shoplifter. Sometimes it was just too unbearable to walk by something nice, something beautiful, something that kids who had their parents, people that _cared_ about their happiness could expect for gifts, and not just swipe it out of sheer desperate _longing_. Other times, she'd done it simply for the thrill, the excitement of getting away with a bad deed and being difficult.

She reached the bottom of the hill and tried to control her emotions. She was going into enemy territory, into battle. She had to get herself in the zone. And she really hoped Henry was up to it too…

A group of four acros looked up and got to their feet as she approached, levering their massive bodies into the air. She felt an emotional pull far stronger than the psychic sense that told her if she was heading toward or away from Ground Zero.

And she'd felt this pull before.

(Well, so far so good,) Wu said hopefully, even though she could tell he felt himself on highly shaky ground. (They only seem curious, not aggress-)

The acrocanths were staring at them, as if they didn't know what to make of not just her, but a lone Iguanodon bull entering their turf as blithely as if he was following the odor trails of a breeding herd. Or maybe they simply couldn't believe their luck. The Acrocanthosaurus version of room service!

Then two of them lowered their bodies parallel to the ground, broke from the group, and rushed him, jaws agape, eager for the kill! It was exactly what Patience had feared.

* * *

 **Henry.**

There are some well-laid plans in life that turn out being a lot easier to carry out in the mind than in practice. Especially when a deadly duo of mature Acrocanthosaurus are pounding through the scrub at you, each the size of the average African elephant and eager to sink their fangs into your flesh.

 _My God_ , Wu could only think in stunned, half-stupefied horror.

The Iguanodon's instincts weren't helping at all. Long before they'd gotten close enough for the acros to spot them, the sight of them, the rotten meat and old fat reek that hung about both them and their nest area…it had sent the bull's mind into a tizzy of raw terror, screaming " _Run! For the love of everything holy, run!_ " down every nerve.

But Henry Wu had mastered it, made the enormous body obey him. And he'd been positive that if or when the acros charged him, he'd simply coolly face them with similar poise, and give them a savage jolt with his psychic powers. Nothing to it.

He hadn't counted on his primitive human terror getting the better of him.

(If you've got an Acro-Off magic trick to perform, you'd damn well better do it now Henry!) Patience cried desperately.

He stood up on his hind feet. Tried to summon every ounce of mental energy and will. But it wasn't happening! His terror and the Iguanodon's were just too strong! The muscles along his spine quivered under his bronze and red ochre skin.

So Wu wheeled and ran for his life, feet pounding like pistons.

(Oh for _Christ's sake_!) Patience yelled in shocked disbelief. (This is _not_ the time to choke and lose your head Wu!) He heard her break into a run after him.

He understood that his response was totally the wrong thing to do. But the civilized and educated Henry Wu had just not been able to prevent turning the control pad over to the paranoid half child/half savage that still dwells in every human soul-the lizard brain-and wrestling it back down was not an easy task, even though he was fully aware of the absurdity and stupidity of his behavior.

Two sets of brute instincts ruled, and these instincts told him that when charged by an enormous carnivore with big scary teeth and glowering, forward-facing eyes, that you should run, run, stop thinking and just _run_ for all you were worth.

With his side-mounted eyes, Wu could see the pair of acros pursuing him all too well as he bulldozed through the vegetation. One especially, was closing the gap with a frightening speed!

Patience was desperately tearing after him as well, which panicked the Iguanodon bull even more.

(I knew it!) she cried savagely. (From the moment I saw you show up, I knew I'd end up having to save your suicidally stubborn ass!)

There was another powerful set of instincts inside of Wu and his vehicle however, besides the impulse to just run in terror from a predator. The instinct to fight for one's life.

The lead acro was almost on him, coming up on his right fast-and Patience was still not close enough!

(No!) she roared.

Wu braked to a stop, whipped around, and emitted a deep, angry bellow from his beaked mouth as he got ready to face the first acro.

Within seconds it was right there, leaping at him, jaws cracking open-

Patience roared in a last attempt to bluff her fellow acro.

So did Wu. It wasn't an Iguanodon's roar.

It was the distinctive, shuddering, part-screamed, ringing roar of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

He'd given it form, projected it from his own human mind and memories.

The acro's reaction was immediate. Drawing its neck back into its customary S-curve, it stopped short in shock, huge body scrabbling backward in its own panic as it flailed its immense tail and flung its arms out to the sides to maintain balance. Its partner even actually leapt into the air, moving its four ton bulk with the deceptively agility of a sumo wrestler!

Even Patience was taken aback.

(What the-)

Taking advantage of the acro's distraction, Wu decided to put a bit more distance between them. Flinging out his right arm in a boxer's jab, he shoved his thumb up at the great carnivore's chest-and felt it pierce flesh!

The acrocanth gave a deep screech of pain, leaping up into the air and away. It rejoined its comrade and stared at him, panting. Blood trickled from where he'd stabbed it in the pit of its left shoulder, deep into the muscle. He could see and smell its blood on his thumb spike. A lucky strike.

(Was that your plan?) Patience guessed. (To make a big, scary-sounding T. Rex roar? Pretty clever, but wow, you sure held out until th-)

Wu just shook his head.

(It's entirely different-) he began-but was cut short when the second acrocanth now charged him!

Now though, Wu was prepared.

He stomped down his panic and held it pinned.

Thankfully, the Iggy bull was primed and spoiling to fight, and no longer consumed by out-of-control fear.

It made summoning every gram of mental energy for the stunt, every iota of collected concentration, so much easier.

Wu blotted out every bit of what Buddhists called "the monkey mind." Cooled every wild flame of emotion.

But there was a wall in the way. Something stubborn and nigh-immovable that could not be ignored.

It was his intellectual side, the one that scoffed at the idea of this silly paranormal tripe. His many years of scientific training, and how it had constrained his way of thinking.

He fought. He fought to shove it away. He had to if this was going to work!

But the truth was, even as he smelt the foul stench of the dinosaur's breath, even as it bore down on him and the other began to circle, Henry Wu didn't want to let go. It was ingrained, a part of him and his identity, his worldview as a man of science.

But what was one more scoop of the fantastic and outrageous? Least of all when your life depended on it!

He closed his eyes, and set off the booby trap.

A blue-white ball of lightning, six feet in diameter, appeared from thin air and smacked right into the ridge-back's face, enveloping the end of its muzzle with a sharp, hissing CRACK-KOW!

(Holy shit!) Patience yelped as the acro gave a screeching yowl and went utterly crazy, dancing about and shaking its head for several seconds before rubbing its zapped muzzle against the ground. (What the hell did I just see?!)

The other acro growled and charged Wu a second time.

(Oh, big mistake,) the geneticist said simply as he psychically produced another ball of electricity and flung it right into the wounded acro's nose. It didn't like the sensation any more than the first.

Turning to a stunned Patience as both acros squealed and quivered, quills standing bolt upright with shock and fear of their own, Wu grinned as best he could with his beak and said by way of explanation, (A little trick I decided to borrow from the electric rays. There's a reason why they aren't known for being fast swimmers,) he chuckled.

(Um, yeah, no kidding,) she said hazily, closing her mouth.

(So, ready for a second approach into the lion's den?)

(Of course. Just don't scare me like that by choking at the last minute again,) she growled. (That was too much.)

(It wasn't exactly how I wanted things to turn out either,) Wu admitted with a mild shudder. (I'm under control now though.)

(I'll hold you to that. But only use your shock prod magic to protect _yourself_ okay? Only use it to protect me if I'm losing a hardcore fight and I request it by name.)

(Sure,) he agreed. (The less of a fuss we stir up around here, the more likely we'll get to the amber key. Besides, this psychokinetic defense requires a good deal of mental energy to generate.)

* * *

 **Patience**

All four acros, both the pair that had attacked Wu, and the pair that had stayed put, stared at her and Henry in confusion and consternation. They'd sure never seen an Iguanodon like this one!

Then, one of the pair that had hung back broke out of its stupor and rushed her!

(Don't zap it!) she urged Wu, just in case. (You hear me? I need to do this on their own terms.)

(I get the picture.)

Patience remembered the little "game" of dominance and submission she had been forced to play with Number 47. This time, she would have to be the one to back down. And that would be the great challenge for her: to go against her instincts and nature, and allow herself to be bent to the will of another. It made her literally bristle, but she knew it was the only practical way to infiltrate the Acrocanth pack and find the amber key.

But something was odd. Her subsumed she-acro wasn't feeling defensive or hostile. Indeed, the feeling rising up were of recognition, of joy and warmth.

(Do I know you?) she asked in soft wonder.

Had she snapped? The acro coming at her was a female, and she hurled herself at Patience, quills erect with excitement, clawed hands tucked against her chest so as not to appear threatening.

As Wu gave an involuntary gasp, the other female slid right up alongside Patience, warm, solid scaly body pressing against her own with such enthusiasm that they both fell into the brush with a loud, jarring thud.

The other acro raised herself onto her hands and feet, and Patience felt her snorting breath wash over her as she deliberately nuzzled her chest and neck, producing a slurred, deep chuffing noise, almost like a huge tiger!

What was going on here? She was shocked. But then her nose told her. This was one of her grown _sisters_!

The other acro stood completely erect and backed away, allowing her to get up and face the welcoming committee, which sauntered over. Not one of them attempted to attack. In fact, they all appeared interested, even excited, to see her!

Wu was a different story. Eager to fill his stomach, a third acro, a male, charged at the geneticist, jaws agape...and promptly received a harsh zap to the nose that sent him packing with a deep squeal.

Equally crazy was the fact that Patience actually felt _happy_ to see them too. That's what the pull had been all about. The curious feeling she'd experienced was togetherness. Bliss. Kind of like when she was with Wu, for that matter…

The four acros seemed to want her to follow them into one of the wide canyons. She was willing to do it-but she also shot a telling glance at Wu.

(I'm going in to search the place and mingle,) she said. (You want to stay out here-or do you ya feel like living dangerously in the acro's den?)

(I'll take my chances,) he said by way of decision after a moment. (This psychic electricity defense seems to be working just fine, so I'm not worried anymore about entering.)

(Well, if you're not worried, then I'm not worried. We'd better stick close though,) Patience replied as he sauntered over to her.

Unfortunately, while the male acro Wu had stabbed earlier gave him due respect, the other three were apparently slow learners, and tried to attack the Iguanodon again. He was forced to shock them in the face twice more before they finally realized inviting him to dinner wasn't going to happen, and would get them nothing but pain. So they switched their attentions back to Patience, and deigned to let him enter the maze of canyons alongside her unmolested.

(Hopefully that's the last time I'll need to do that,) Wu breathed out shakily. (Generating electricity with one's mind, even if it's an illusion, takes a lot out of you.)

She nodded distantly. She was more focused on how the patterns of their markings were similar to her own. Was this another way to identify individual acros, decide if a dinosaur was friendly or hostile? Stripes with stripes, spots with spots?

But there had been plenty of others who looked nothing like this group, and there had been no conflicts that she had seen. So smell had to be the most important method.

A throaty growl vibrated through the air, and a familiar odor came to Patience's nostrils. She turned her head and saw Number 47 emerging from a side canyon. She had no idea if her fury was directed at her, or at Wu. But she had the impression it was personally meant for her.

 _Now it starts_ , Patience thought, standing tall.

(I'll sort this out with her,) she told Wu, whose own body had tensed.

Number 47 stalked forward, hissing angrily, staring daggers, hooked claws held out and exposed. But then two of Patience's companions surged toward the challenger, snapping their jaws and growling. Wu growled at her too for good measure.

The display took the wind out of Number 47's sails. Lowering her quills, she lowered her head, tucked her hands against her chest, and whimpering, backed off.

Patience laughed. (Don't know about how you feel Henry, but I _like_ this development.)

(It was certainly very informative,) he admitted. (But I have to say,) he added thinly, (I feel rather like a biologist in scuba gear observing tiger sharks underwater and close up at this moment-without a protective cage in sight.)

Number 47 took her leave, tail drooping at an angle. The two acros who'd put her in her place returned to Patience, joining the others in smelling, nuzzling, rubbing against, and even lightly shoving her. It was wonderful.

Then she heard footsteps and looked up to see another group of dinosaurs approaching from the inner reaches of the canyon system.

The Green Knight was not among them. Patience felt rather disappointed.

These ridge-backs were different sizes. They too, seemed torn by the conflicting urges to greet her and gorge on Iguanodon rump roast. They all seemed to welcome her though.

It was weird, but it was exactly what Patience had come down here to achieve. The group accepted her.

But they only wanted to accept Wu as a main course.

They began to surge forward, and Wu stood up, mentally preparing to shock them-

( _ **No**!)_ Patience roared at him, voice ringing off the canyon walls even as she jumped in front of the prospective dish of the day, standing tall and displaying her hand claws at the group. (Don't shock them Henry! Don't do it! Stay away from him,) she then growled at the other, approaching acros.

He was taken completely aback. (Well what else am I-)

(If you give them all a dose of ball lightning to the face,) she hurriedly explained, eyes tracking the other acros as they leered at him expectantly, slowly shuffling forward, (then they'll think _**I**_ had something to do with the experience, and then we can forget about having them trust me anytime soon.)

(What other choice do we have though?) Wu asked, harried and agitated. (Even with my back to the wall, I can't possibly fight off a pack all on my own, and you can't deal with all of them at once!)

(But I can send a **_message_** to them all at once,) Patience replied confidently as she threw her neck forward and snapped her jaws in warning at her fellow group members. (I know this will sound totally crazy, but I want you to get down on your knees and elbows. And whatever you do,  don't shock any of them.)

Wu was flabbergasted. (And leave myself completely defenseless if they attack Patience? That's mad-)

(Just trust me,) she urged, even as she made a bluff charge at the other acros with a growl before backing up. (I did something similar to this to keep Number 47 from eating Mr. London when I first arrived here.)

(Well, if it's been shown to be tried and true…) Wu said hesitantly as he got back down on all fours, and lowered himself to the hard clay, shaking as his ankles and elbows bent backward, carmine-rimmed eyes wide. (I sure pray you know what you're doing.)

As soon as she saw that Wu was in a prone position, she backed up, spreading her sturdy legs apart so that she ended up straddling his body. Never once did she take her challenging gaze away from her puzzled fellow acros as she bent over and placed her formidable curved claws on Wu's elephantine striped shoulders. Under the rain-wet, scaly skin, she could feel his muscles quaking, and his heart beating wildly.

Patience opened her jaws, and as her tail slowly waved in an S curve, produced a deep, husky snarl that made Wu cringe beneath her. It was a statement of dominance, of ownership, that this "kill" belonged to her, and thieves would not be suffered gladly.

But her declaration needed something more. She stared at the other acros, concentrated on them, and the odor of every single one in the area.

With the exception of occasionally touching, picking up on the feelings radiating from other creatures around her, she had, like Wu, refused to tap into her uncanny new psychic talents. Until now. Now she was using them to project a single idea like a mental supernova into the simple minds of every Acrocanthosaurus around her!

 _The spike-thumb bull is_ _ **mine**_ _. He belongs to_ me _, and is mine to do with as I wish. Treat him not as prey, but as a part of this clan. He is under my care, and is not for eating!_

Patience then broke the connection, but not before she sensed a baffled understanding, an acceptance-in some cases, a rather grudging one-from the theropods around her. This Iguanodon was off-limits.

She stood up and walked forward, ahead of Wu, telling him as she glanced backward, (They've got the point. You have safe passage now.)

Wu stood back up on all fours, giving a shaky puff of breath. (Are you positive? I don't want to use my electric defense on them again, but I will if I-)

(You _won't_ have to,) she said simply. (I just used both acro body language and my own newly tapped psychic potential to "tell" them that you're with me and not on the menu.)

(I know I certainly felt that stern message too. Then I guess we're all friends,) Wu said, looking at the pack members warily. (Still, let's be cautious. Hunger can be a powerful motivator.)

The moment of truth had arrived. As Patience mingled with the clan, they now made a point of not even so much as _staring_ at Wu, although a few looked frustrated that they couldn't do what came naturally with him.

Instead, they sniffed and nuzzled Patience. But as nice as all this was, she could see that Wu was still rather on edge about being surrounded by the enemy, and they still had a task to accomplish. One of these ridge-backs had snatched the amber key, and they had to get it back.

(You guys don't mind if we just kind of check out the place, do you?) Patience asked.

The other acros tagged along as Patience entered the flat-bottomed gorge, floored with gravel, which led to the heart of the maze. Wu kept close, very close, walking on his back legs just in case he needed to use his turtle beak or thumb spikes for protection.

But they did nothing more threatening than longingly drool as they crowded about the unlikely pair, making it hard for Patience to check out all the little crevices in which the key might have been stashed. But she managed.

In addition to the crunch of the gravel underfoot, every now and then Patience heard a different crunch. Looking down, she saw branches and pieces of log that had been washed down here by rain or blown down into the canyon by high winds.

There were also some scattered old bones, gnawed and broken. Patience examined one nearby skeleton. It had belonged to a freshwater _shark_. Wu wasn't exactly pleased to discover the skull of a fellow adult male Iggy, visible fang marks and punctures on its crown and sides.

Eyes widening, he visibly swallowed and clacked his beak twice before tearing his gaze away and moving on.

They made their way through the stone hallways. She'd begun to think of them as hallways now, not canyons or chasms. And this place wasn't really much of a labyrinth. It was easy to find her way around, especially with her sharp sense of smell.

Besides, this place seemed familiar to her acro mind. She'd been raised here. It was her home. A cozy communal dwelling.

But there was no hint of that amber key. She thought of dogs burying bones in backyards, and became deeply worried about how impossible her task might prove to be.

Then she felt it. A fierce attraction from around the right bend of the canyon she was currently in, and then down a second gorge. The key!

(Come on!) she told Wu.

She was in what athletes called "the zone" again. A place beyond worry and fear. In only a couple minutes, Patience and Wu had arrived at an open space, a sort of natural amphitheater covering an area a little over a half mile in diameter at its bottom, where she sensed she'd find the hidden treasure.

It was a gorgeous sight. The sloping cliffs around them were gray-brown in color, and 150 feet high, forming majestic natural walls, their lower slopes covered in lush conifers and ferns. Directly across from them, located about halfway up the back slope, a row of small springs bubbled, sending forth streams of sparkling clear water that came together to form a narrow, rushing torrent. As the incline became flatter, so the creek became less violent, slowing down to form a peaceful stream along which palms, tall horsetails the size of aspen trees, and cypresses grew.

Eventually, just several hundred yards away from where she and Wu were standing, the creek spread out to form a pond the size of the high school football field, covered with yellow and white water lilies, and surrounded by horsetails, bigger versions of the segmented, single-stemmed plants called snake grass that she sometimes found in the woods, and some flowering bushes.

The entire clearing, in fact, was covered with gorgeous bushes and small trees bursting into flower. While there was the odd palm tree, group of cycads, or tall redwood or hemlock or juniper-looking tree standing proudly to the sky, here there were mostly the new kids on the botanical block.

They came in a profusion of colors, even though the blossoms were simple in structure. Some were white, others canary yellow. Some were pink, some scarlet red. Some were large, some were small. But they were all stunningly beautiful.

Now that the rain had let up, beetles and wasps were flying among the flowers to feed on nectar and extra pollen, the first players in a brand new relationship between plants and animals, one of the most crucial and beautifully intimate that the planet would ever know. Pollination.

As for the stream, it exited the left side of the pond at a 120 degree angle, forming a chuckling, gentle riffle that unhurriedly curved toward and then disappeared around the corner of a side hall. Birds, tiny specks of feathered color, and a few small pterosaurs darted across the water and called from its shores.

(I like this place,) Wu commented approvingly. (Here we are, seeing the first flowers in all their splendor. "The woodlands, the lakes, bloomed-and color came to the earth,") he intoned in soft reverence.

She had a strong sense he was quoting some show, book, or something similar.

Patience nodded in wholehearted agreement.

(It's a gorgeous place, isn't it?)

She'd been able to get a partial view into this amphitheater from the hill, but it hadn't prepared her for this splendor. She'd also seen acrocanths moving through it, but not remaining for long. It was near the center of the maze, the biggest "chamber" by far. She was rather surprised to have someone join her.

From the side canyon on the left, where the small river disappeared, the Green Knight emerged. Giving Wu a brief glance and what seemed like a disappointed sigh, he boldly walked right up to her, then paused.

When she strode forward, he lowered his head and took a step back as she approached. A knight bowing before his lady.

She inhaled the musk from his throat glands, and flicked her long tail in pleasure, feeling a heat rise inside her.

Getting a grip on her acro mind, she and Wu began a sweep of the place, sniffing, digging, inspecting likely places, never straying more than twenty yards from each other as the Green Knight watched. No sign of the key yet, but that odd feeling remained. Why?

Then, from a six-acre copse of cedar trees and low ferns that crowned a sprawling, gently rounded sand hill, a pair of massive Acrocanthosaurs emerged. Both had serious battle scars on their faces and shoulders, an aspect of authority to them. One smelt female, the other male. Behind the female stood half a dozen very young acros, ranging from seven to ten feet long with large eyes, long faces like a foal's, and oversized feet.

Their bodies were covered in cinnamon down, speckled with dirty yellow.

(Looks like we came across the alpha pair,) Wu surmised in what almost seemed like glee. (And young. They're covered in down for warmth Patience, just like baby birds, but they clearly lose them as they grow older, and their sheer mass becomes sufficient for insulation! No one ever dreamed the young of large theropods had this downy covering!)

(It is pretty cool to see,) she admitted. (And yep, majorly unexpected.)

(They're actually rather adorable, aren't they?) Wu asked, seriously geeking out.

(Cute and fluffy,) she agreed. But her mind was elsewhere.

Another old TV show had been brought to mind. One that the Mushnicks watched reruns of all the time. The Brady Bunch.

These acrocanths were like the Bradys. Mike and Carol.

It was all starting to make sense. All of these dinosaurs were related in some way. Parents and children. Older and younger siblings. This was an extended family. A welcoming place for all. A place of love and kindness. Acceptance and understanding. It was like-

A terrible, enraged snarl came from directly behind her and Wu, catching both of them completely by surprise. She whipped around just in time to see Number 47 rush at them, quills bristling and teeth bared as Wu leapt up into a fighting stance. Patience had no idea if Number 47 was merely targeting _him_ as a predator, or wanted to beat up on her instead.

But she never found out, for the Green Knight rushed forward and rammed Number 47 with his massive head, knocking her to the ground. He then added insult to injury by stepping on her side as his momentum sent him leaping over her fallen form. Hard.

(Fascinating social behavior,) Wu said to himself, although shaken. (Very interesting.)

Mike and Carol bristled and growled at Number 47 as she writhed, then flopped on her side and righted herself, mewling and raking the dirt with her hind feet, petulantly clacking her jaws and kicking at a stone.

 _You all like_ _her_ _better. You let_ _her_ _get away with everything, Mom, Dad! She can hang out with plant-eaters like him-really, whoever heard of such a thing!-do_ _ **whatever she wants**_ _! And I can't stand it!_

But her complaints were cut short when Papa Mike strode forward with a rumbling hiss and took 47's entire muzzle in his own jaws, holding it for several seconds as his daughter cringed before letting go.

 _Young lady, do everyone a favor and_ _ **shut**_ _ **the fuck**_ _ **UP!**_

This gaudily scaled dinosaur wasn't the favored daughter after all, she wasn't Marcia. She was Jan! Number 47 was like Jan Brady.

 _Oh God Monique, this is_ _ **so**_ _what you deserve, it truly is._

Patience began laughing. Then Mike and Carol came over to inspect, sniff, groan, chuff, and just plain welcome her. Unlike the others, they made her feel special. Just like Henry beside her did…

It was a connection she had dreamed of all her life.

(I can't believe this!) Wu gasped in both disbelief and joy.

(Neither can I,) she whispered, fighting her instincts.

She wasn't just someone this clan _knew_. She was truly a _part_ of it. She knew from what both her nose and her heart told her that Mike was half of her, and Carol was the other half. These dinosaurs were her _parents._

* * *

 **If, like Patience, you suspect that Wu's awed, profound statement about the flowers in all their glory is a quote, you're absolutely right! It's spoken by the great wizard and master of natural history programming himself, David Attenborough, at the end of the third episode of the groundbreaking 13-part 1979 BBC series Life On Earth, titled The First Forests. Immediately after is a heartbreakingly gorgeous montage of flowers in all their beauty that always moves me to tears. Watch it. Right now. You won't regret it.**

 **While I hate to speak ill of the dead, I've always had something of a problem with the way Scott portrayed the Acrocanthosaurs in this second arc of the Dinoverse series, as if they were a bunch of oversized dogs-Cretaceous Care Bears basically. While we can never know for absolutely _certain_ how any extinct animal behaved-their social structure least of all-it's worth keeping in mind that the brain of large carnosaurs like Acrocanthosaurus was similar in structure to a crocodile's, not a bird's. This doesn't mean they were stupid, anti-social robots-indeed, crocodilians are surprisingly complex and sophisticated creatures, with a social structure to match, we've come to discover. It's just that the way Scott portrayed them here is to be frank, wildly far-fetched.**

 **I know what he was trying to do in this scene, to present Patience with a real, accepting and loving family. I respect and appreciate that, and that he had to fudge the science to make it work. But all the same, a lot of it comes across as rather preposterous to me. So I've tried to strike a balance here and make the behavior, the relationships, of the acro clan a lot closer to that of alligators or maybe ravens than mammals whenever I feasibly can.**

 **I have heavily modified both the size and appearance of Mike and Carol's "dwelling," from the much smaller one portrayed in the actual book. Hope you like.**


	13. Chapter 13

**And here's another chapter looking at Patience insinuating herself deeper-perhaps too deep-into her acrocanth body's family as she and Wu continue to search for the amber key.**

* * *

"Love is, um, it's when you care more for someone else than you do yourself." _Starman_ , 1984, Columbia Pictures.

 **Patience.**

Abruptly, she broke away from the ministrations of the Bradys, fear and repulsion washing over her.

( _No_ ,) she said simply, backing away to Wu's side. The only other human here, the only connection she should rightfully be having. She didn't want any part of this. They had only come for the key, nothing more.

(Where should we even start looking in this vast place?) she asked Wu.

(I couldn't even begin to guess,) he sighed helplessly, even as the rest of the entire clan gathered around. (It might not even be in here at all.)

A host of acros. Patience could feel her genetic and emotional connection to them all. Her brothers and sisters. Greg. Bobby. Cindy. Peter.

There was something more. This stunning, vast natural amphitheater was like her nursery. She'd been hatched and raised here, had stepped blinking into the sun for the first time as a chick from a nest mound hidden away in the very copse of cedars and ferns Mike and Carol and their newest brood had just emerged from. It was her sanctuary. A private place she could come whenever she wanted. Somewhere _she_ belonged.

No. This wasn't her!

(Maybe it was placed by that big dead tree over there,) she said almost frantically, gesturing with her head at the V-shaped peninsula formed by where the large creek flowed out from the still pond covered with water lilies.

(Patience, is something wrong?) Wu asked in concern, picking up on her harried tone.

She ignored him as, in a foot-bounding blur, she sped around the Brady parents, scattering the startled, whining young chicks and raced across the stream, the water sloshing around her feet. A seventy-foot tall conifer lay on its side among several large boulders, uprooted by a long-ago windstorm and now mostly a weathered trunk and boughs.

Wu joined her in digging and inspecting as she searched wildly, clawing with her hands, sniffing hard at every cranny, scraping out dirt with her feet like a massive chicken. No sign of the key here.

She heard two of the acros walk up behind her and utter chuffing sounds. Her mom and dad. They were curious and concerned.

(You _can't_ be my parents,) Patience whispered desperately. (I won't let you…)

(Relax Patience,) Wu told her reassuringly. (They're just the parents of your acrocanthosaur body, not your actual _human_ self. Let's just find the amber key, and then you can bid them good-bye once and for all. I know you won't lose yourself.)

But Wu didn't _get_ it. He didn't understand that there was so much more to her consternation.

She thought of the Macy's department store when she was only three. The faceless woman, barely remembered, who'd been her mother and then cruelly abandoned her. Then Helen, who'd adopted her, adored her, and promised they'd always be together. Until the leukemia had taken over her body like some horrible, ravaging fairytale demon, and Patience had been sent to a glorified orphanage. And assuming they solved the mystery at Ground Zero, Henry Wu would ultimately leave her too.

She straightened up. All right. He was correct. This dinosaur _body_ had parents. _She_ had a family. They and it had _nothing_ to do with her.

Besides, this family would be like all the others she'd encountered. Wonderful at first glance, but something entirely different, something duplicitous and dysfunctional, once she actually got to know them well.

(Yeah,) she agreed. (It's weird, but they're irrelevant when you boil it down. The key is what matters.)

(We certainly have to be close, I can feel it,) Wu said, nodding as he raised his head and uneasily regarded the watching predators, forelegs caked and smeared with wet soil and sand. (But even this chamber could easily take half a day to search. Makes you wish there was a way we could somehow ask them where it's being kept,) he sighed in frustration.

Patience brightened as inspiration struck her. (Maybe…maybe we can! You're a genius Wu,) she cried.

Before he could reply, she turned around and fixed Mike and Carol with her gaze. (I'm here for the key,) she said firmly. She mentally dragged out the image of the amber key and seized on it, placing it at the forefront of her thoughts. She concentrated so hard that she then felt like her thoughts were just too much to contain. They burst from her, flooding out.

(Good God,) Wu gasped in shock, his massive body jerking so violently he almost toppled. (What did you just _do_ Patience?!)

For an instant, she didn't know. Then she realized what was happening. For a second time, she had released her buried psychic gifts, projecting the image of the amber key and the desire she and Wu had to recover it into the simple minds of every dinosaur nearby!

It apparently dawned on Wu too then, for he glanced at the acrocanths, then back at her, saying (You took my idea of asking them and ran with it, didn't you? You psychically projected an image of the key into all their minds. It certainly entered mine like a cannon shot,) he added, shaking his head and blinking his goat eyes.

She nodded in reply as she broke the transmission, but not before she sensed an overwhelming desire to help, an understanding and desire that came from the acros around her.

She shuddered in something like profound disappointment and loneliness.

 _You all want to help Marcia. Not the human me. None of it has anything to do with me._

But maybe she could use that to her advantage.

(They got the message,) she told Wu. (They want to do something.)

(Okay. Any idea exactly what? Are they going to lead us to where the key is, or have one of them bring it back?)

(Right now I'm not sure,) Patience admitted. (About what they're going to do.)

(But I suspect I know who we should be focusing our attentions on,) she continued as she noticed Number 47 skulking about near the entrance she and Wu had come in by. She was certain that she'd taken the key.

(Her,) Wu said simply. (Makes sense.)

(Exactly,) Patience said coldly as she took a few strides forward and growled at 47. The other dinosaur defiantly glared back, her quills rising as she displayed her hand claws, and Patience recognized that look. The little thief wasn't about to relinquish her prize.

(I have a plan to manipulate her into either handing the key over or showing us where it is out of spite,) she told him, (but for this to work, I'm going to have to go a bit native for a while. Don't worry, I'll still draw the line at eating or letting anyone eat you,) she said as she looked at him.

(Patience, I think you're giving these creatures far too much credit-for that matter, are too _eager_ to give it to them-when it comes to intelligence,) Wu cautioned. (How could you possibly know that they feel an emotion as advanced as spite or jealousy?)

(I don't,) she admitted. (But they're not total robots either, and remember, _I'm_ the acro here, and you're not.)

(Yes, but you're also human, and _not_ an acro,) he replied. (To project your human ways of thinking and feeling onto them is at best misleading, and at worst hazardous.)

(I'll try to keep that in mind.) she said noncommittally before crying, (Okay everybody! Marcia's back! Let's do something to celebrate!)

(Marcia?) Wu said in confusion, blinking.

(It's my nickname for this body. I'll explain in detail later.)

(Listen Patience, these creatures are no Brady Bunch.)

Mom and Pop Brady immediately picked up on her change of tone. All the other acros bounced on their feet and bobbed their heads in enthusiasm.

All that was, except Number 47.

 _Score._

Carol Brady turned to her brood of young chicks and uttered a groaning chuff, which got their attention and brought them to her side. Then she looked at Peter and made a sort of deep, husky coo as she did so. He recognized what she wanted, and stood straighter, giving a groaning chuff of his own that made the acro chicks scramble to him, emitting wiry peeps as he then sat down and made himself comfortable.

Then Mom and Pop Brady turned away and began trotting to the side canyon on the great chamber's left side, producing deep barks that brought all the other members of the clan to them.

(Babysitting!) Wu declared in excitement. (This is an amazing discovery! They have babysitters for their young, just like ostriches and some other modern social birds do today! Amazing,) he breathed.

(Do you suppose they're going to lead us to the key at last?) he then asked her.

(Probably,) was her response as she yawned, exposing three dozen ivory teeth. (We can only hope.)

They were all led back to the open place where she and Wu had first entered the maze. It made Wu chuckle.

(So it was here all the time, I take it? Right under our noses. Now there's an irony.)

But none of the ridge-backs called for them or began digging.

She saw that the bellies of her fellow acrocanths were sunken and hollow, and realized they were rather hungry. She was hungry too. No wonder so many of them had been so eager to attack Wu! She sniffed herself, wondering in apprehension if the odor of her other companions was still on her.

Ominous instinctive drooling and quick, throttled predatory glances aside, the predators all seemed to respect both Wu's psychic electric eel trick and the concept that he belonged to her, had a special status, kind of like he was her dog or horse.

But what about Zane, Muldoon, Runt, Mr. London, Harriet, and the little bastard Nedry? They would still be fair game. Would the other pack members expect her to lead them to her friends?

Fortunately, Mike decided to lead the Brady Bunch out to hunt on a route perpendicular to the path she and Wu had taken to get here. Patience saw rolling, thickly forested hills in the distance. As they strolled, the adolescents of the band chased and shoved each other while Mom and Pop Brady looked on.

Patience glanced back to see Number 47 trailing the group, head down, her gold eyes glaring.

Away from the campsite, they soon entered mature conifer and palm forest, the massive bodies of the dinosaurs slipping among the trunks of the redwoods, the cypresses, the spruces and cedars, stepping over fallen logs and cycads with an easy, slinking grace, placing one foot in front of the other as they fell into a loose single file. Wu stayed close to the back. He recognized hunting behavior when he saw it.

 _Quite a change of perspective_ , Patience thought as she looked at the forest around them. She knew that the trees surrounding her were fifty, sixty, seventy feet tall, with trunks it would take at least six or seven men to wrap their arms around. And the tree ferns whose dripping fronds brushed against her belly were eight, ten feet high. Yet the great trees seemed more like aspens or the young oaks planted ten years ago on the school grounds, the tree ferns like the smaller ones in the forests of her world. The weird cycads that grew in such profusion over the forest floor, the small ferns and palmettos, were the equivalent of mere weeds to her acro body.

Then, as they came around a hill and approached a large glade in the forest, Pop Brady suddenly stopped, peering intently at something Patience couldn't as yet see through the vegetation as he lowered his head and began to very deliberately place one foot in front of the other. He wasn't fooling around anymore. His motor was primed and he was ready to go.

Not entirely sure if she wanted him to be successful in front of her, Patience very carefully took a few steps forward while Wu, giving into the demands of his Iguanodon body, decided to nervously browse some more. Then she smelt the prey, and even caught some glimpses of it through the gaps in the leaves.

A pair of Tenontosaur bulls, cropping ferns and flowering bushes in the glade. They each weighed about a ton and a half, from what her acro mind could make out by the sounds of their slow footsteps. Not nearly enough to feed the entire group, even if both of them were run down. Still, they were worth the effort.

Mom Brady then silently broke away from her mate's side, slowly moving through the forest to the right in a slow semi-circle. It seemed that Mike would be the one to spring the trap, rushing forward when he was close enough to attack the Tenontosaur pair. Then, as they fled, Carol would burst out from the right and grab one.

She saw another acro moving through the woods, curving around the glade to the left. It was Number 47, locked onto her targets. She was evidently a master huntress, Patience had to concede that much about her, observing the way she moved so stealthily among the trees, always paying attention to where she placed each step.

Like the rest of the Bradys, Patience simply watched the drama unfold, tensely. Part of her hoped Mike, Carol, and yes, Number 47 would succeed and get to eat. Another part prayed that the Tenontosaurs would sense the danger and get out of Dodge.

Her wish was granted.

The breeze was coming toward her, so she knew it couldn't have been their smell which alerted the bulls. Perhaps the snap of one of the twigs or fallen branches that the trio of acros stalking them couldn't help but occasionally step on now and again did it. Maybe one of them saw a suspicious shadow, or noticed a three-toed foot being oh-so-slowly being raised or lowered. Or maybe they just got the sudden awareness that something was very wrong in this nick of the woods.

At any rate, one of the Tenontosaurs suddenly gave an explosive, wheezing snort and immediately hauled out of there. His buddy didn't ask questions and did the same, both crashing off together into the underbrush.

Branches cracked and crunched as Number 47 and the Brady parents erupted out of the trees, chasing, pounding after their fleeing prey with a sound like machine guns being fired. But the herbivores had had just enough of a head start, and gave all three acros the slip.

They regrouped and carried on, passing through a shallow, oval shaped marsh that lay between two hills, mud sucking at their feet. It smelt nasty. On a large island in the heart of the marsh, the flat center served as a rookery for several dozen toothy, saffron winged pterodactyls without crests and roughly the size of geese, tending to clutches of eggs.

She didn't like the putrid odor of their crap and the rotting scraps of food either. The pterodactyls went airborne on seeing the acros, flying in circles and producing shrill barks of distress as they abandoned their eggs, wings pumping.

But they were beneath the band's notice. Irrelevant.

Patience had no idea where they were going, but she had an ingrained sense of the area. Her host body must've wandered by here many times. The odors of the dactyls and the marsh blocked any other smells that filtered out from the forest around them.

They sloshed through a small cypress swamp, came to another forested hill, skirted that, walked for several miles through more conifer forest, and then encountered a narrow ravine, which the acrocanths all effortlessly leapt across. Wu did it on all fours, like a horse in a steeplechase.

Six more miles, and the thick woods began to open up. Patience smelt water, and heard it flowing. They all trotted out onto the gray, stony shore of a magnificent lake, and the wide river that flowed into it two miles away on her right, from the east.

The opposite shore was three-quarters of a mile away, and also fringed with conifer and palm trees. She could see and smell a breeding herd of around forty or fifty Astrodon like Zane gathered there, the cows and half-grown calves wading into the water and lowering their blunt heads to drink, necks forming graceful, giraffe-like curves. Others kept watch, peering apprehensively and intently at the acrocanth band that had just shown up on the far shore. Small pterosaurs and birds flitted about or even perched on the giants, grabbing insects and spiders stirred up by their sofa sized feet, or even pecking parasites like ticks from their hide.

She saw another range of high hills off to the northwest, through which a grand waterfall plummeted. Clouds of mist and frothing water churned at the base. Around her, the wind moaned, and light rain fell. It all should've felt dreary and depressing, but instead, the chill in the air was invigorating.

Also exciting was the scent of sauropod that came to her nostrils. Then, among the tempting scent of the astrodon herd on the other side, came a different type of sauropod odor. From their side of the lake, half a mile west.

The smell was of a sauropod of both a different species than the astros watching them, and in a different state. It was the rank, pungent aroma that has excited and drawn predators throughout the history of life on earth.

Carrion!

The acrocanthosaurs all acted as one. Immediately, Patience joined them in breaking into a run, sloshing through the shallow water in the direction of the carcass.

When they saw the body they were dealing with, slowly rotating just twenty-five yards from shore, pillar legs stiff from rigor mortis, she and Wu were both blown away.

(Oh my God,) Wu said simply. (That is one enormous dinosaur.)

(Jeez, what sort of steroids was _that_ long-neck taking?!) she gasped.

It was a basketball player of a dinosaur, about seventy feet from nose to tail tip, and easily forty tons, over twice the size of Zane's body. Its left foreleg, the only one she could see sticking above the water, was fifteen feet high at the shoulder. And that neck! Good grief, that insanely long neck! It was like someone had stuck the body of a mutated giant python from some 50's B-movie onto the dinosaur.

(Incredible,) Wu goggled in awe. (At the park I've cloned apatosaurs, see them almost every day, and believe me when I tell you they are _huge_ animals. But this-this beast is an order of magnitude bigger.)

(My God,) Patience said in amazement. (I bet that thing, if it was alive, could kick me across the damn lake!)

(It's a mountain of a dinosaur, isn't it?) Wu agreed as his glance met hers. (And you know what's even more unbelievable? If the way I've seen and studied how the apatosaurs at the park grow and develop is any accurate indication at all, this gigantic creature hasn't even reached full adulthood.)

(You mean this freaking thing would've grown to be even _**bigger**_? That they get even _bigger_ than this?! You're joking.)

(I know it's hard to comprehend, but yes,) Wu said earnestly. (I'd estimate this sauropod was two-thirds of the way grown when it died.)

(Oh my Gosh,) Patience said, staring at the giant carcass as the implications hit her. (Then, that would mean…)

(This species of dinosaur is probably capable of reaching a hundred feet in length, and I'd guess sixty tons in weight-the mass of a very big sperm whale bull.)

Patience thought of Monstro the whale from Pinocchio, and illustrations from Moby-Dick.

(What do you think it is Henry?) she asked in disbelief. (A Brachiosaurus maybe?)

(No, it couldn't possibly be that,) he replied, shaking his head. (Brachiosaurus lived in the late Jurassic, long before the time we're currently in. And besides, this one is even larger than that genus, although it bears a family resemblance from the general body structure.)

(So maybe we're looking at a giant species whose fossils haven't yet been discovered in our time? Cool,) she grinned.

(Oh, that's very possible,) Wu admitted. (To think that we ever have or ever will discover good fossil remains of every non-avian dinosaur that ever drew breath during their 150 million year reign is wildly and utterly ludicrous, to put it mildly. Even geologic formations which have been explored and worked by fossil hunters for over a century still reveal a brand new species now and again. So yes, I'm willing to bet that this giant is one that people have never known about.)

(Until now.)

The rest of the acro Brady Bunch didn't care nearly as much about the awesome size of the sauropod carcass or its significance as a brand new unknown species. They wanted to eat, and so did Patience. Several dozen crocodiles and alligators were already tearing at the massive body, pulling and twisting off pieces of lightly rotten meat to be tossed to the backs of their mouths and swallowed. Water splashed and roiled everywhere.

Pop Brady decided to take the initiative, gingerly wading into the lake toward the drifting sauropod. The quills on his back were raised. He had reason to be nervous, for Patience noticed that some of the crocodiles were twenty feet long, big enough to give the patriarch a nasty bite if they wanted to.

Growling uncertainly, he waded out as far as he could. But the dead giant was still just out of reach!

Carefully, he reached forward, trying to grab the corpse with his teeth-then he leaned too far and fell in with a great splash!

Patience had to laugh as Mike bobbed back up, flicking his head and treading water, looking almost embarrassed. Swimming over to the dead sauropod's back end, he clamped down on the base of its tail like a bear trap. Then, in an astonishing display of strength, he jerkily swam back, keeping his snout above water as he dragged the mountain of flesh back toward the shallows, tail lashing like those of the crocodiles. The real deals either backed off or trailed the carcass, continuing to feed from the high shoulders and redwood tree long neck. When he touched bottom, his mate and the others plunged in to assist. She considered doing the same, but she had a sly idea of what might happen if she stood apart and let the others do the grunt work.

Now she and Wu could see the dead sauropod in all its awesome glory revealed on the shore. The size of a humpback whale, it was spruce green in color, with dark orange stripes on its back and upper flanks like a tiger's. Thick bands of hyacinth purple, edged above and below by thin strips of chocolate brown, ringed its impossibly long, triangular neck, copper ones ringing the tail. All four legs had "socks" of lapis blue.

It was both beautiful and scary.

(When we find the key and get back to the rest of the crew,) Patience said in dry earnestness, (we are going to tell them about this Godzilla-sized dino, and then hope like hell we never encounter a live one.)

(I don't think you have to be concerned about one of these huge sauropods harming us at all Patience,) Wu told her. (This one is pretty intimidating in its size to be sure, but remember, it's still an herbivore. A gentle giant that just wants its space.)

The other acros fell upon the carcass, slashing and tearing, yanking loose chunks of flesh the size of draft horses, digging their hand claws into the scaly skin or holding a foot against it for leverage.

The Green Knight was the first to present her with an offering of the fruits of the hunt, a great tattered chunk of smelly sauropod liver and another one of heart muscle.

(Courtship feeding behavior?) Wu thoughtfully surmised to himself as the acro let it fall from his jaws to wetly hit the ground in front of her. She lowered her head and ate it. Others came with meat for her, heart meat, lung tissue, meat from the thighs and calves. Greg even brought her something fresh, a writhing, ten-foot mint green sawfish clenched in his jaws. She ate as much of everything as her stomach and crop could hold.

Number 47 stomped over to the vast carcass and turned her back on Patience and Wu as she tore at the flesh with particular savagery. Even with so much meat for the taking, Patience noted, she still fought both her siblings and the crocodiles for scraps in her greed.

(A real piece of work, isn't she?) Wu commented laconically.

(Not exactly Miss Congeniality,) Patience agreed. (But I think she's close to cracking and revealing where the key is.)

(Let's hope it's very soon. We're wasting precious travel time, and Zane, Muldoon, everyone else has to be worrying themselves sick about us.)

After the feast, both Wu and Pop Brady took "their" daughter for a short walk in the woods, around the lake. Number 47 followed, keeping her distance. Near the roaring base of the waterfall, they turned, and walked along a ridge. Ridgebacks on a ridge.

Patience gave a burp and automatically tried to raise one of her stocky arms to her mouth. It didn't reach.

(Wow, excuse me there,) she muttered.

Wu laughed. (Burping is actually a flattering gesture in Chinese culture, showing you enjoyed the meal.)

Mike Brady leaned in and nuzzled her left shoulder. Taking his own cue-or perhaps even being mildly possessive and jealous himself?-Wu stood up and gently leant against her right side, rubbing his head against her like an affectionate horse. Patience saw Number 47 literally bristle with fury.

She loved all of this. Everything was going according to plan. Yet…

Patience looked intently at the older acrocanth. (Can't you sense that I'm different now? This body might belong to your daughter, but I'm not her. She's-I don't know what to say exactly. Imprisoned, I guess. Maybe even enslaved.)

(Why would he sense any differently?) Wu said. (As far as he's concerned, you still look like his daughter, smell like her, walk like her, probably vocalize like her.)

(But I can't be _acting_ like her,) Patience rejoined.

(Doesn't that upset you at all?) she asked Mike, meeting his gaze.

He just glanced at her with a laid back, peaceful disposition, and gave a good-natured chuff. He accepted her totally, and evidently even Wu now. Number 47 growled then, disrupting the tranquil mood.

They returned to the long-necked dino's carcass and regrouped. Mom Brady tore a great slab of flesh from the back of one of the dead dinosaur's thighs and clutched it in her razor teeth as the band headed back to the canyon complex.

Despite the time pressure they were under, Wu simply could not resist the chance to observe parenting behavior in carnivorous dinosaurs, and jogged after Patience. Jealous Number 47 followed too.

Back in the grand natural amphitheater, the chicks excitedly broke away from Peter as soon as they saw and smelt their mother emerge into the open with meat in her jaws, chirping in eagerness to be fed as Patience joined her. Their ridges were still mere bumps on their spines.

Peter approached her too, thoughtfully smelling the meat his mother held, then her feet with intense interest. While he knew better than to steal meat that was meant for his little siblings, he seemed to know right away where Carol had just been, that she'd found a carcass, and that there would still be lots of meat left over for him to enjoy.

Quills bristling, the babysitter gave a deep screech of excitement and ran out of the amphitheater in the same direction Patience had come, head held low to the ground like a running hound's to track the scent, eager to reach the dead long-neck and claim his share. She wondered if he'd guard it until the others felt hungry again.

Mom Brady meanwhile, let the meat fall to the ground, placing her left foot on it and bending down to tear a cow-sized chunk loose.

(Just like a huge hawk or eagle with its chicks,) Wu marveled, seeming to grin.

Mom Brady kept her head lowered, leaning forward with the meat gently clutched in her front teeth. Her chicks gathered around and tore at the offering with their needle-sharp teeth, tugging backward and violently shaking their heads to tear strips off, which they then swallowed.

(This is astonishing to watch,) Wu said in wonder. (No one could've ever suspected large theropods fed their young in such a manner!)

Patience loved it too. (Cool! Now that looks like a fun mealtime!)

After the chicks had eaten most of the meat their mother held in her teeth, she let the last bit fall for them to squabble over. Mom Brady then repeated the procedure.

Patience stood and scanned the area. Number 47 had left the building. Odd. Patience had been trying the best thing she could think of, to make her half-sister so envious that 47 would whip out the thing she had taken to prove that she too, was special: the amber key. She hadn't expected the other dinosaur to pull a vanishing act.

Turning to Wu, she told him knowingly, (You told me that these dinosaurs didn't have the capacity to feel or understand an emotion as complex as spite.)

(Yes, I did.)

(Well Henry, don't look now, but I'm nearly positive that Number 47 just left to get the amber key.)

(Really?) he said, raising his head. (That would be fantastic if she did-and in more ways than one.)

(I can tell you this though,) he added. (As soon as we get that key back, we are speeding out of here. I've spent enough time in the company of all these deadly carnivores, safe passage or no, psychic electric defense regardless.)

(I thought you were enjoying learning about their habits?)

(Oh, I have been, believe me. It's a privilege. But there's also a time when you really start getting the feeling you're pushing your luck a bit too far. And that time has come for me. I want to get out of here.)

Suddenly, the air was torn apart by the sound of an acrocanth bellowing in distress somewhere nearby in the canyon system. Patience's "mother" let the remainder of the meat in her jaws fall as she jerked her massive head up and whipped it in the direction of the sound, giving a sharp grunt that made the chicks freeze. Someone was in trouble!

Mom Brady raced out of the alpha amphitheater and through the network of canyons like an ostrich, Patience at her side every step of the way.

They came to a box canyon that the ridge-backs seldom visited, bleak and ugly with unstable footing. There, Number 47 had fallen into a wide pit, a little deeper than she was tall, and half-filled with soupy mud. She was thrashing and roaring wildly, throwing herself at the walls. The Green Knight was standing on one side of the pit, Mike Brady on the other, both staring at 47 in helpless incomprehension.

 _Oh cripes, you just had to have the attention, didn't you?_ Patience internally sneered.

But in the next moment, she realized this was no act. Number 47 was operating in sheer terror, was in serious trouble. With a low growl of fury, Number 47 hurled herself at one of the walls. But she couldn't gain any purchase with her claws, and sunk deeper into the mud that pulled her down like quicksand!

Patience suddenly remembered the flood in the swamp. She knew all too well how Number 47 felt right now.

(How fossils are formed,) Wu remarked rather callously.

She spun, fighting the urge to slap him.

(How can you say such a mean, cruel, thing?) she yelled at him. (How would you like it if you were down in there right now?)

(Well what are we supposed to do Patience?) he fired back. (Listen to me, she's a dinosaur. She's not a human. She's not your friend, or one of your family members, or like your pet! Are you honestly going to stick your neck out for an animal that wants nothing to do with you?)

(I have to! And did it ever occur to you that if she drowns, we'll lose any chance of recovering the key in any amount of time to still matter?!)

Wu was silent. (Then get her out of there. Although I'm really not sure how we'll do that.)

Patience shook herself, and then went into the zone. Acrocanths were coming from all around. In the morass, Number 47 splashed, roared and struggled, clawing at the walls.

(You're making things worse you moron!) Patience yelled at her in exasperation. She thought of the way Number 47 had been treated by the Bradys. They weren't likely to help, even if they had the ability to figure out a way how. Every experience she'd ever had with families told Patience that, when the going got tough, everyone had to deal with adversity on their own.

(She doesn't have anywhere near the intelligence to understand that Patience,) Wu droned back.

 _No. But I do,_ she thought. It was up to her.

Turning away, she went up to a boulder and knelt down, wrapping her mighty arms around it and straining as she stood back up. Jogging back over to the pit, she knelt down again and dropped it. The boulder fell into the mud with a slurping sound and vanished under the surface.

(What are you doing?) Wu asked in bafflement.

(What does it _look_ like I'm doing Henry? Trying to skip stones? I'm trying to make a ramp for her to climb out on. And since time's a-wasting, you really might want to lend a hand too,) she sternly added.

He nodded, and picked up a boulder of his own, tottering over on his hind legs to drop it in the same spot she had. As Wu backed away, and Patience turned to grab another large stone, she sent the other ridge-backs a third psychic starburst of a command.

 _Do_ exactly _what I do to save this pack member. Pick up the biggest rocks or logs you can carry. Bring them right to the pit. Then drop them_ _exactly_ _at the spot where I and the spike-thumb bull are dropping them._

The Green Knight was the first to respond to her directions, picking up a slab of stone the size of a kitchen floor and hauling it over to the pit, where he dropped it at an angle right on target, slamming into the mud. Carol was next, grabbing a weathered log in her hands.

The boulders and logs falling into the pit with her frightened and confused Number 47, causing her to lunge and push through the mud to the other side. While she was safe from getting brained there, she shrieked and roared and struggled even more, working herself in deeper!

(Just hang on!) Patience yelled as she tossed another boulder in. (I know you're scared, but we're only doing this to get you out of here, so you need to stay calm 47!) And indeed, the trapped acro relaxed somewhat, panting. Or maybe she'd just given up.

Within fifteen minutes, Number 47 alternating between calling out in distress or just watching them with the resignation of a condemned soul, to Patience and Henry's mutual delight, the ramp became bigger and bigger, until it was high and stable enough for her to climb out!

 _Okay everyone, good work!_ Patience psychically told her fellow acrocanths. _You can stop now. Let her climb out._

But Number 47 made no move, despite Mom and Pop Brady's calls. She floundered forward several yards, then collapsed, panting. A sick feeling came over Patience as she watched 47 lying there in the deep mud, exhausted and just steps away from safety, her huge muscles quivering from exertion. And possibly pain.

(Oh gosh,) she said thinly, fighting down despair, (not _this_. It'll really suck if after all this work to make a ramp, it turns out that she hurt herself too badly in the fall to climb out.)

(The deep mud should've cushioned her fall to some degree,) Wu replied as he gravely nodded, (and she most likely just needs to rest for a while before making the effort to climb out. But yeah, if she turns out to have been crippled from the fall badly enough that she can't clamber out, that's very bad news for all of us.)

Then Mike did an extraordinary thing. Carefully, testing the makeshift ramp with every step, he not only climbed down into the pit, but took three steps into the mud, fierce determination in his eyes.

He lowly moaned at Number 47, who made soft, turkey-like yelps as her father got closer.

And then, to both the astonishment of Patience and Wu, Pop Brady lunged into the mud, grasped the scruff of 47's neck in his hands, and tugged her free, hanging on as he made a half turn and regained purchase on the crude ramp, legs and tails kicking and flailing!

Clumsily, with a visible limp in her right leg, covered in a thick paste of mud, Number 47 managed to claw and haul her colossal body up the ramp, hooking her hand claws over the lip and heaving herself out of what had nearly become her tomb.

For her heavier, if stronger, father, getting out of the mud and the pit was more difficult. But he managed in the end to drag himself out too. They were both free!

After taking four limping strides away from the edge, 47 dropped on her belly with a weak groan, coughing and wheezing, spitting out mud.

The other Acros gathered around in both amazement and concern as Wu also respectfully drew closer.

(Her right femur was partially dislocated by the impact,) he pronounced, as if he was a pediatrician telling an anxious pair of parents the results of an exam on their child after a nasty fall. (It got popped back into place on its own though, and I don't think anything's broken. So she should be back to full health and mobility in perhaps a week or two.)

Patience felt oddly relieved. She also studied the circle of concerned predators, especially a mud-caked Mike, trying to take in what she'd just witnessed as Wu backed away and returned to the pit to thoughtfully examine the ramp they'd all made together. She'd kicked the project, the rescue effort off, to be sure. But then she'd become a part of it. A link in the chain. A part of the equation.

She felt relief, astonishment, concern and affection radiating from all the ridge-backs as they nuzzled and comforted Number 47. Despite how difficult she acted, she was _family_. _Nothing_ could change that.

Why, her parents weren't two-faced _Bradys_ at all! As soon as she'd heard her daughter call out in fear, Carol had immediately dropped everything and rushed to 47's aid. And Mike. He had been willing to clamber down into that deathtrap of a pit, risk his life to save one of his own.

And so had she. And so had Henry Wu.

It was the very reason he was here in the lion's den to begin with. To watch over her.

But now it was time to leave.

Gently, Patience directed her psychic powers at the shaken, hurting Number 47.

 _You owe me_ big _right now, half-sister,_ she told her. _You are still alive and safe at this moment because I formed a plan for your rescue. Now pay me back. I want to know where this amber key is!_

She was shocked when she received, through the other female acro's pain and distress, an impression of honest bafflement and her own surprise. 47 had never seen this amber key, had no idea such a thing even existed.

Damn it! All this time frittered away for nothing!

(I can't believe it. I was way off,) she said, crestfallen. (All this bending over backwards to get under her skin, and guess what? Turns out, she knows about as much about this amber key as a horse knows of toasters.)

(Oh Christ!) Henry said in despairing frustration, stomping a hind foot and then loudly saying several words in Cantonese that Patience was pretty sure were as filthy as Monique's soul. (Well, this is so goddamn wonderful!)

But the Green Knight, standing at Number 47's right side, jerked upright from where he'd been inspecting her swollen hip, peering at her intently. Raising his snout, he gave a short chuff and turned to bob his head at a slot canyon which led out of the one they were in, the entrance just fifty feet away.

 _What do you want?_ She wondered.

Patience, and remarkably even an unhappy, uneasy Wu, were nuzzled and leaned against in appreciation by several of the ridge-backs as she started off in his direction. She turned and glanced at her parents. They tilted their heads as one, then half-closed their eyes and gave a short grunt.

 _Go with him, by all means._

(Why are you following _him_ now?) Wu asked in puzzlement. (Patience? We need to stop wasting our time on false leads and just get down to business.)

(I know we do. I just feel worn out all of a sudden. Besides, we just can't go running around this maze digging and acting crazy like chickens with our heads chopped off. We need a whole new game plan now.)

It wasn't a lie. Patience needed to think. Her time consuming plan to make Number 47 return the key had failed.

Strangely, though she knew what was at stake, her sense of urgency had waned.

When he realized that Wu was coming along for the trip, the Green Knight suddenly stopped and slowly turned to face the Iguanodon bull, sending him a baleful glare and emitting a terrible, bone-chilling growling hiss, like an angry tiger's. The quills pockmarking his high spinal ridge went erect, and it made Patience's heart rise up into her throat.

Wu backpedaled a few steps, levering his body into a bipedal posture as he placated, (Whoa, easy big fellow. Let's not pick fights.)

The Green Knight took two menacing steps forward, with another hissing growl, head lowering.

(Hey!) Patience snapped as she darted in front of the other acro. (You stop that crap buddy!) she snarled.

The Green Knight blinked and jerked his head back in surprise. His posture relaxed, and his quills went flat…but he still kept his hard glare locked on Wu, who defiantly met it with his goat eyes, ready to meet the acro with either a psychic or physical attack.

A sound came from the Iguanodon's open mouth, an eerie combination of hollow pops and resounding bangs, like a great drum being struck by hand. Clearly a "don't mess with me," signal.

(That's better,) she told the other acro.

(Wow. He didn't have any problems with me being around him before,) Wu shakily said in confusion. (And we know he just had a big meal. So why did he just display such aggression towards me all of a sudden?)

Patience glanced at the Green Knight, who took his eyes off Wu and turned away to start walking back up the path.

(I have no idea what just got into him,) she admitted with equal surprise. (Maybe you made a sudden movement or something and that made him nervous.)

(That could certainly be the reason,) Wu agreed. (I'll just have to watch my step a little, I guess.)

All three of them walked together for a couple more minutes, Patience staying in the middle of the odd caravan.

She could see the Green Knight's huge muscles seeming to get tenser, his jaws tighter, amber eyes flicking back in Wu's direction with every step.

And then, with a startling quickness, he wheeled and gave a furious hissing growl at Wu once more, this time even seeming like he was about to charge the geneticist!

(Cut that out!) Patience roared, the sound nearly causing Wu to bolt. It brought the Green Knight up short-but he still grumbled as he stared at Henry. His eyes seemed to say, plain as could be, _This stroll is supposed to be a time for just you and me. Why in the hell does this doofus need to come along too?_

Wu evidently had come to the same realization.

(Okay. Looks like he doesn't like the idea of having me tagging along,) he surmised, body braced.

(No. He most certainly doesn't.)

(Well, he'd better get used to it,) he said, tone steely. (If he subscribes to the motto that three's a crowd, that's just too bad.)

But Patience felt torn. Awkward. She enjoyed and valued Wu's company, and couldn't see the harm in having him come along. But the Green Knight obviously wasn't going to tolerate anyone else butting in and ruining the moment.

(Umm, Henry? Don't take this the wrong way, but it's probably for the best that you back off and let us do our own thing for a while. Keep searching for the key, and I'll come back when Romeo here is feeling less possessive.)

Her request totally stunned Wu, who jerked back in shock, beaked mouth falling open as he blinked.

(Patience…) he trailed off. (What's happening to you?!)

(Nothing is!) she fervently denied. (I just don't want to have to constantly be playing referee between you and him, okay? It's best for everyone that you just back off and keep working at finding the key until either, um, we come back or I can slip away. Besides,) she added, (after stuffing myself on aged long-neck, I could use some time to rest.)

But Wu knew better. He tilted his head to fix her with his right eye, producing a forceful snort as he got back down on all fours, replying, (You actually mean what's best for _you_ instead Patience. Or what you want to be best.)

He conceded however though, turning away and shaking his horse head.

(All right, I'll leave you two in peace for the time being,) he sighed in great reluctance. (But before I do, all I can say is this Patience: For the sake of me, yourself, and everyone else in our band, get a grip. You are a lot farther down the path to going native than I'm comfortable with...or perhaps I should say that **you** should be comfortable with.)

And then he was trotting down the hill, back into the maze of canyons.

Patience watched him go. She had no idea what to say in response to such an accusation-especially since it had all too much truth behind it. Had Wu seen through her just now to a degree that even she herself couldn't?

She was brought out of her shocked stupor by a soft chuff from the Green Knight, and the touch of his muzzle against her upper flank. She turned, and saw him raise his head to briefly glance at Wu as he made his way downhill, pupils contracting as the acro gave a very low growl.

Then he turned away and began walking uphill, looking over his shoulder at her with a rumbling purr.

 _Forget him. Just follow me and enjoy our time together._

And so Patience did.

As she walked along a high, winding path that led to a beautiful bare hilltop overlooking the forest, Patience thought about what Holiday had approvingly told her when she'd discovered her talent for hoops.

 _It's really something when you find something you didn't even know you were looking for, something you never would have thought was lost._

Patience climbed the hill with the Green Knight and followed him right to the base of a house sized boulder. The rain fell harder, and the wind became stronger. The view was beautiful. And for some reason, Patience felt just a bit like a true girly-girl out on a date!

(Umm, what is this? A make-out spot or something?)

The Green Knight lowered himself to his knees and dug at the earth. Then he stood and grunted for Patience to come closer.

At the base of the boulder lay a collection of bright rocks and crystals. In the middle lay the amber key!

(You took it!) she cried in astonishment. (Why?)

She bent down and reached for it. The Green Knight's own hand descended quickly. They touched the amber key at the same instant. Images rose up and blazed in Patience's mind.

Memories.

A bright, sunny afternoon, Patience going up to and trying to lean against the Green Knight, only to have him reject her affections. Nights when she'd tried to get close to him, only to have him blow her off, behave like she were beneath his notice. Hunts on which she'd brought back meat and tried to share it with him, only to be rejected.

She looked at the key between her fingers.

(What was _that_?) she asked. But some part of her understood with a shock. The Green Knight hadn't been courting her for all that long, not like she'd suspected. His attentions had nothing to do with her host body.

It was all about her. She, her own persona, was the one that attracted him. He had taken the key to draw her to the camp and to place it with other courtship gifts he'd gathered before, impress her with their beauty.

Her throat constricted. The right thing to do was to leave this place right now. They had the key back. These-these _animals_ -had nothing to do with her.

But that wasn't quite true, and she knew it. She reached out to the Green Knight, her arm trembling. Their claws brushed.

She belonged here. She _belonged_!

(I'm so tired,) she sighed.

The Green Knight looked in anticipation from her to the key, then back to the trinkets.

(No,) she said firmly. (I have to take this with me. I _need_ it. We need it. There are others besides Wu down there…another, well, not exactly family, but group I belong to. I have to think about them. About everyone where I come from.)

He looked at her again, his honey-colored eyes alive with hope.

(No. Not now.)

The Green Knight glanced darkly down in Wu's direction, then off into the distance.

(If we fail somehow, if we end up having to stay here, I'll come back. But he's always going to stay with me. I can't promise anything else.)

He gave a congenial chuff.

She shook her head. (Yeah, like you can even understand a single word I'm saying.)

He turned back to her, and in that instant she knew that he _did_ understand. Something profound had passed between them. Her internal words might have been lost on him, but the core emotions had come through clearly.

They walked down the other side of the hill, to the base.

Stuffed with and drowsy from so much meat, Patience sat down and yawned. (Hold on,) she said. (I badly need a nap. Just for an hour or two.)

The Green Knight sat down beside her. Patience stared up at the stars shimmering through the gaps in the clouds, and it wasn't long before she found herself lying on her side, letting the Green Knight gently lick the bloodstains from her muzzle and face.

 _I'll go soon,_ Patience thought. _I just need a doze._

She summoned the will and concentration for two more potent, poetry-of-emotion psychic messages.

One was for Zane, "telling" him that she and Wu were safe and sound, that she'd found the crucial amber trinket and would be heading back fairly soon. Zane was both relieved and very pleased, from what she could make out.

The second was for Wu himself, informing him that she'd just found the amber key, and that he could stop his searching now and rejoin her-but could he please be so good as not to wake her up when he did?

Before she broke the connection, she got an emotional reaction of joyful excitement and relief and pure, questioning astonishment from Wu that was so potent it nearly made her enormous frame convulse.

Lying there among the ferns as her mind calmed, she felt that same sensation she'd experienced the first time she'd touched the key.

 _Home_. It truly did feel like home.

Smiling internally to herself, Patience fell into a deep, restful sleep.

* * *

 **The sauropod carcass that so amazes Wu and Patience is that of a brachiosaurid (or titanosaurid, depending on who you talk to) described in 1999 and known as Sauroposeidon, the tallest known dinosaur discovered to date. You'll be seeing more of these grand creatures later. In the book, Scott had the acros feed themselves by catching fish, but finding a nice smelly carcass seems like a far more believable conclusion to a hunt as far as I'm concerned. These aren't spinosaurs guys!**

 **The failed ambush of the Tenontosaurus bulls is entirely my work.**

 **The rescue of Number 47 has also been heavily altered from the book. Originally, # 47 gets mired in a marsh, and the rest of her family group, including Patience, form some sort of Acrocanthosaur version of a human chain, somehow holding hands in a sort of web fashion and pulling 47 out of her muddy grave.**

 **If you just laughed good and hard about how ridiculous and unbelievable that type of behavior would be in creatures who at best, had the mental skills of a pigeon and a brain similar to that of a super-sized alligator, with arms and hands which were not all that terribly dexterous, you're not alone. What does Penn Gilette call those over-the-moon in their implausibility claims and/or ideas? Oh yeah, I remember now, _bullshit!_**

 **Also in the book, the acro Patience thinks of as Carol goes to a nest outside the maze and feeds the chicks fresh fish as their bio parents look on. However, as a general rule with many social predators, only one female actually breeds at any given time. So I had the chicks in the group belong to Carol all the time instead. Plus, why should she do the job of their parents and feed chicks that aren't hers?**

 **The threatening call Wu produces in the face of G.K.'s aggression is based on gray whale and sloth bear vocalizations.**

 **Finally, to everyone that may read this chapter, please  be good enough to leave a review! Just say whether you liked it or not, if I could improve or not. It really is rather disappointing to have only ONE regular reviewer so far...**


	14. Chapter 14

**And here we take a moment to check up on Will in this chapter as he goes about an eerie journey in the mountain's depths-and finds a few secrets.**

* * *

 **Will.**

Will jammed his makeshift torch into a natural crevice. Trying to keep the feathers on his arms from getting too wet, he gathered up a backpack-sized mass of soft roots, moss, and leaves soaked in the water from the stream, then walked back up the tunnel toward the dim glow filtering out from the top chamber.

Balin and Dwalin were standing just a few yards into the tunnel. On seeing Will, they each gave a rolling cluck of alarm and ran inside towards the top end.

Tink though, was nowhere in sight, although he'd seem her on the other side of the opening a short time before.

(Hey, Tink!) he called. (I've got something for ya!)

A low groan reverberated down through the tunnel as Balin and Dwalin gave slurred clucks and ran about.

(Come on,) Will sighed. (I'm not gonna hurt you! Any of you!)

The grown rose.

Like a curious hawk, Will thrust his head through the opening. Then he gave a hoarse yelp and pulled back like a darting lizard. He was just fast enough to avoid a blow from a heavy forepaw.

Tinkerbell had been suckering him!

Water dripped from the mass of leaves and roots he'd painstakingly collected. With a low growl and a hiss, he tossed the whole wet mass into the cavern and stepped back into the darkness, where he sat down and began preening his arm feathers, gently clopping his teeth.

Tink strode forward, sniffing the leaf sponge. She went for them immediately, devouring the lot, then licked the wet stone where they'd landed. Her next act was to raise her head, meet Will's glance, and growl.

(Yeah, you're so welcome!) he sardonically, bitterly growled back. (And don't forget to vote either. Go with what you know.)

He scrabbled in the dust with his hands as he stared at the plant eater. What an ungrateful bitch. It had actually been hard work getting back up to this level. But did she appreciate it? No. She tried to pulp his head! She was just as bad as any member of the Wetherford student body!

Will had been trying not to think about the disappointing results of the election. But the defeat still gnawed at him.

Along with something concerning that Lance had said…

 _I've invested-_ _ **we've**_ _invested too much to let it end here._

Will had been too bummed and shocked to pay much attention to his pal's remark at the time. But the more he mulled it over, the more suspicious and edgier he became.

He considered Leiman, and how he had known so much of what was really going on. All of that talk about being clear where you stand with people and not leaning on others-had he been trying to warn Will that his "friend" might have been manipulating him? Or had Leiman been trying to drive a wedge between Will and his good friend?

Tink bellowed and tried to squeeze herself into the tunnel to get at what she only saw as a hated enemy.

Will sighed, crestfallen and lonely. He was trapped. But hey, at least Balin and Dwalin were gentle towards him. And at least he knew where he stood…

Will turned his back on her. After gathering new fuel for his torch, he fed it to the fire. Then he went exploring around the tunnels.

He descended down into the cockroach pit again, then chose a branching tunnel at random. He used his right sickle claw to mark X's on the wall as he went, rubbing his cheeks against the stone to provide scent sign posts as well.

Even with his incredible new sense of smell, able to distinguish easily between a thousand individual raptors, and even to tell what they'd been eating recently, the network of tunnels soon became confusing. He then went with Y's, Z's, and then began with A's, marking every branch in the maze separately but in a recognizable order. Sometimes he ended up in huge chambers with high ceilings. Other times he had to crawl to keep going, jagged bits and spurs of stone raking feathers from his skin.

He was definitely descending into the lower depths of the great mountain. Passages twisted and wound about, but even the ones that were level for a time inevitably led downward.

How far down? How far had he traveled from Tink's chamber? It was impossible to say. Will certainly hoped that he was now at ground level with the outside world, but he had no way of knowing for sure. The air was thinning, and his torch was flickering.

In one chamber, he stumbled over a fallen stalactite. He cocked his head to look up at the array of shattered stalactites above, and the new cracks in the cave floor. Will tried to fight back the mounting sense of unease, even panic, that came as he thought again about the earthquake that must've hit this area recently. If an aftershock happened again while he was inside this mountain, he could be buried alive, or crushed like a bug!

Will couldn't help but think of horrific stories he'd seen on the news and in magazines, of cavers, miners, scuba divers and others who'd had the same nightmarish thing happen to them. Some had been rescued. Others hadn't been so fortunate, dying slowly in what must've been unimaginable terror and despair and suffering. Just like he probably would!

 _Chill out_ , he commanded himself. _Freaking out over 'what ifs' does absolutely_ _nothing_ _constructive. Besides, it's not like a new tremor is going to happen just because you came inside the tunnels. Quakes don't work that way._ He had to find a way out, and so he would. That was all. As long as he stayed calm.

Will came to a level area and began exploring, inspecting one chamber after another. He had now gone through the entire alphabet, and was now adding numbers to the letters he carved. And of course, scent marks from his cheeks.

An odd odor caught his attention. Something sour, chemical in nature, almost like a feedlot smell just ahead. It made his lungs ache, his head hurt. His torch began to flicker more intensely. He half-expected to come across a goblin or troll.

He took a moment to lean against a wall, and a figure suddenly sprang out at him. It was a dinosaur a couple feet shorter and about a third smaller than he was, the size of a female cougar with outstretched arms and wild eyes that shone green in the firelight. The smaller dinosaur was also covered with feathers, with a strong, stout serrated beak that made it resemble a gigantic, demented parrot, except it wasn't curved.

It had the scent of another meat-eater, but it most certainly wasn't a raptor. A swift starburst of both recognition and rage, different from the type felt when sensing prey, flared up within his Deinonychus mind at the scent and sight of it.

HATE-THIEF-NO GOOD-KILL-HATE-DESTROY-THIEF-SNEAK-MENACE-WICKED!

His torch was knocked from his hand, struck the ground, and sputtered out.

Will automatically lashed out with a kick of his left leg, sickle claw slicing the air. He felt it pierce flesh, and excitement flashed through the raptor's mind. They'd scored a hit on an enemy!

The other dinosaur gave an agonized cry that sounded like a cross between a raven's croak and the yowl of a startled cat. Then the smell of blood and fading footsteps as she retreated away into the darkness. Whatever she was. Panting, Will got the impression that he'd somehow taken the other meat-eater off guard, frightened her just as badly as her close-quarters lunge had freaked him.

He crouched down, felt for, and found his torch. He was lost in a darkness more complete and terrible than any he'd ever experienced, but some instinct told him not to even dare try relighting the torch. Not that he could've anyway.

The nasty smell intensified. He stalked forward, curiously sniffing the drops of blood from the other dinosaur. The chemical odor got even worse.

Then he realized. Natural gas smelt like this! It sometimes collected in mines. The same thing might've happened here. Maybe that was the bad smell.

Will stood up and broke into a trot. He gently bumped a wall in the darkness and felt about until he was able to find a way out of the noxious chamber. The air, thank goodness, cleared, and Will found himself heading down again.

To be in total darkness like this was soul-crushingly scary. But the raptor's mind wasn't as troubled. While it didn't like the confined spaces, it hunted on moonless nights all the time, when clouds completely blotted out the moon and the stars, preventing the prey from easily seeing their killers coming. This darkness wasn't all _that_ bad.

It helped boost Will's confidence. Still, when he came across some chunks of flint in one tunnel a couple minutes later, he couldn't get his torch relit fast enough! This time, he'd extinguish the flame if he even _suspected_ the presence of gas.

In an amazing irony, the parrot looking predator that had attacked him had actually done him a huge favor, saved his butt. If Will had gone a few steps further with torch still blazing, he'd have never walked out again. He'd either have been incinerated, or found himself lying on the stone with massive third-degree burns, the limited protection provided by his now-charred feathers notwithstanding. Either way he'd soon be dead.

Of course, now he was utterly lost.

Will could only walk on, let his search play itself out as it may. The descent became steeper, but the air became less stuffy, sweeter. He had the impression he was fairly close to the outer surface of the mountain. Then, turning a bend, he was overwhelmed by exciting, delectable smells!

It made him feel HUNGRY again!

It was the scent of Tinkerbell! And of Balin and Dwalin! But how could that be possible? She was back in the upper chamber, with no way out, and Will hadn't smelt any trace of her companions since leaving the cockroach pit behind.

Another step, and the ground gave way beneath him! Will shrieked and spread out his wing arms before dropping down a nearly vertical shaft, hoping his wing feathers would help slow his fall. A blow against the side of the chasm knocked out the flame of his torch. But he kept holding onto it.

When he finally hit the bottom, legs underneath his body in a crouch as he landed in a pile of gravel, he became aware of a dim greenish light. Foxfire! He heard movement, felt the slight air currents and vibrations of other living creatures moving around in the darkness, smelt them. His instincts demanded that he charge forward and kill! Kill and devour!

Instead, he dug both his hands and feet into the gravel and dirt, fighting his urges until he had them under control. He'd already had a good meal of carrion. The scent of prey, some of it bleeding, was strong here. It drove the raptor's brain wild!

Will knew that back home, coyotes sometimes killed more sheep in a flock then they could possibly eat, and even after they'd eaten well. Weasels and foxes did the same thing to chickens if they got half a chance. Indeed, he'd once seen the results of a raccoon raid on a henhouse at his friend Jake's place. The raccoon had killed eight of the fifteen birds, biting off their heads and eating the necks and the guts, randomly ripping bites out of the breast and back. It had been a gory massacre.

He wondered if this raptor body would do the same if he let it do its thing, just rush in and kill wantonly.

He saw dim forms moving about. Some were as small as Balin and Dwalin, while others were even _bigger_ than Tink!

As he sniffed intently and his eyes adjusted, he saw that the dinosaurs were gathered by an underground stream, about eight feet wide. He heard a cacophony of sounds, trills, grunts, rolling clicks, snorts, growls, coughs, chirps. Lumbering footfalls grew louder. The prey had noticed _him_ now.

Inhaling deeply, Will cast around in the darkness and detected a pair of flint chunks. Braced to leap to his feet and run, he struck them together three times, and by good fortune, a spark got his torch going again! A weak flame leaped into existence, revealing a large, tubular cavern with a domed ceiling.

The arching entrance to the cave had collapsed, forming a great barrier, a vast pile of broken rock and house sized boulders that not even a large dinosaur could possibly break through. Over half a mile in length and a hundred and fifty yards wide, the cave was crowded with dinosaurs, eyes ignited by the reflected firelight.

An entire herd of Tenontosaurus, ranging from greyhound sized babies to hulking bulls that were bigger than Tink by a third, were trapped in the cave. Containing sixty to seventy members, they were the game the raptor pack had been stalking when they came to this valley.

They weren't the only captives in this natural jail cell.

In the firelight, Will also saw a flock of whatever kind of fleet plant-eaters Balin and Dwalin were, two dozen or so of them. His sense of smell informed him that most of them were either hens or well-grown chicks. Three colossal, striped Iguanodon bulls also stared back at him, towering head and shoulders above their Tenontosaur cousins.

Rounding out the group were two weird-looking armored dinosaurs than vaguely resembled the Ankylosaurus Bertram had been sent into when he'd first used the M.I.N.D Machine. These though, were significantly smaller, "only" about the size of a rhino or a hippo, with long tails that had no clubs at the end, and a more pebbly type of armor, with sharp spikes sticking out of their necks and shoulders. With them were five babies, each one the size of a big loggerhead sea turtle.

In the stone all around them, Will saw little crystals shining, especially at the back of the cave, which was just a few hundred feet to his left. Did that have something to do with why they were all here?

But he didn't have very much time to take things in. A trio of massive Tenontosaur bulls advanced on him, and one of the Iguanodons bared his beak and gave a ringing groan, as if encouraging them to kick his ass.

(Whoa! Hold on guys!) Will called out frantically.

All the dinosaurs jerked back in surprise and stared at him intently, almost in a dull sort of wonder and certainly confusion. But then the bulls broke into a canter, right at Will!

He thought of Tink's reaction to having him literally drop in, and with a distracting shout of (Hey! Your favorite show just came on!), he grabbed both pieces of flint with his free hand and placed them in his mouth. Then he wheeled and ran!

Giving them the slip was easy. All Will had to do to stop them in their tracks and puzzle them was sing an enthusiastic rendition of the "Barney Song," as he spied another tunnel, one too narrow for them to move through and promptly darted inside. He ran uphill for a time, then slowed.

Just as his legs started to burn and ache, the ground leveled out. This place smelt somewhat like him…

Will cocked his head about, tail flicking up and down as he scanned the walls, hoping to find one of his marks, whether scratched or scented.

Yes! There was one over there! Now he could trace his way back to the roach pit, and from there he could try the other branching tunnels. One simply _had_ to lead to the outside!

Will made the journey back, walking, clambering, climbing, and thinking all the while about Tink. He'd misjudged her, unfairly. She hadn't been ungrateful at all.

Why, Tink had been noble, had been _courageous_. She had placed herself in front of the tunnel entrance to prevent a predator from reaching her herd. He wondered if some of the babies he'd seen down there were hers. But what about the other predator he'd encountered? Were there more of her kind in this warren of tunnels, quietly stalking and hunting any smaller dinosaurs which strayed from the group?

Could that herd be connected to the upcoming events at Ground Zero?

Suddenly, Will stopped short. He was just a few hundred yards away from the roach pit. He could hear Tink growling and giving those calf-ish _gwaas_ of fear!

Placing the butt end of the torch in his front teeth, he ran forward to the chasm and scrambled up the stone ramp, almost toppling it in his haste. He circled the stone ledge, and after switching the torch to his right hand, ran for Tink's chamber.

He'd covered half the distance when he encountered Balin and Dwalin racing, jerkily on account of their injuries, down the tunnel from the other direction, feathers sticking out in a manner that made them look almost like cotton balls, beaks open and panting in fear.

On seeing Will, they both gave rolling clicks of alarm and practically leapt out of their skins at the sight of him. They turned around, instinctively intending to flee from their predator-but to Will's confused surprise, went into a half crouch for several seconds, wildly and indecisively glancing from him, then to the chamber, then back to him, then back up at the chamber.

(What?) he gently but hurriedly asked them. (What's got you guys and Tink so scared up in there?)

Their only response was panicked chirps as their nerves broke and they fled from him, back into the chamber.

He followed right behind, the fire streaming from his torch as he charged inside, Balin and Dwalin running in opposite directions in an obvious attempt to confuse him. Or whatever was coming.

Tink was standing right in the middle of the floor, directly underneath the crack on trembling hind legs, tail lashing and spinal crest erect as she stared at a figure, covered in feathers and caked in dust and dirt, bursting through the same high gap which Will had entered through.

A growling hiss.

The head of another raptor, its milky nictitating membranes blinking away dust, emerged from the opening, his jaws snapping hungrily and clawed hands extending outward as he sighted Tink and smelt blood from all three dinosaurs.

 _Junior!_

Now Balin and Dwalin were out of their minds with terror, ricocheting off the walls, darting about, eyes so wide that they revealed the whites, willing their crippled legs to work.

The raptor burst from the opening in a great puff of dirt and leapt to the ground, wings outstretched like some dark angel. Will crouched low, clutching his torch and displaying his sickle claws, not all together certain what he might do if Junior attacked Tink, Balin, or Dwalin. Or him.

Instead, the raptor slipped slightly as he jumped off, and hit the ground at a bad angle. He flung back his head and gave a glassy, ear-piercing shriek of agony that exploded in the enclosed space. One of Junior's legs-his left leg-had ended up twisted beneath him. Will suddenly smelt fresh blood, and then noticed something lying close to the left foot. It was one of Junior's sickle claws. Somehow, it had gotten snapped off on impact.

Flailing his feathered tail, panting shallowly and spreading out his plumed arms-for intimidation? For balance?-blood trickling from the claw stump, the Deinonychus rose on one leg and glared balefully at Will as if his unexpected injury-his _crippling_ injury-had all been Will's fault.

The moniker "Junior" no longer seemed like a remotely fitting name for this maddened, hateful, wounded and dangerous creature.

He'd named the Tenontosaurus after Peter Pan's moody fairy companion. Far better for _him_ was that of another character from the tale and Disney movie, the one of Pan's bitter nemesis, also brought to life so chillingly and effectively by Dustin Hoffman in the movie sequel of the same name.

 _Hook._

The raptor snarled. And leaped.

* * *

 **The other species of theropod Will encounters in the tunnels is known as Microvenator. While Scott portrays them as toothy, large-headed creatures with long, apelike arms, he was way off the mark. In actual fact, Microvenator is only known from a single set of partial skeletal remains. All the same, there's enough material to discern that instead, Microvenator was a primitive oviraptorid, with a stout beak and likely some type of bony crest.**

 **So does that mean then that Microvenator wasn't much of a predator after all? Not exactly, my friends. Turtles have beaked mouths and heads somewhat similar to oviraptorids-yet they are still quite capable hunters. There is also a species of parrot in New Zealand known as the kea, and while it is mostly vegetarian, it will attack and eat other animals if it gets the chance, even tearing chunks of fat and flesh from live sheep! So it's probably not too off base to presume that Microvenator hunted large prey at least sometimes.**

 **One last word on this topic. The only known specimen of Microvenator is four feet long, and that is how Scott portrayed them. It turns out though, that this sole specimen belonged to a young individual, meaning that Microvenator got substantially bigger as an adult, naturally. So I gave Will's attacker a made-up length and weight that just felt right to me. Sometimes that's all you can do when reconstructing the past, go by what makes sense and feels real.**

 **Speaking of which, we are never told in Dinoverse exactly why the heck there was a whole massive herd of Tenontosaurus in the depths of the mountain to begin with. But I've formed my own scenario that makes sense. What is it? Well, that's for me to know and you to guess, lol!**

 **The other kinds of dinosaurs in the cave were all added by me for a bit of diversity, especially since it has something in this version that they all need...**

 **Reviews always light up my day!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Patience.**

A slow, grinding, crunching sound from somewhere nearby woke Patience. She opened her eyes to her first actual glimpse of sunlight since she'd arrived here in the age of dinosaurs. Massive gray storm clouds loomed on the horizon. Bursting out from them almost directly above her, warming her scales, was a bold shaft of fiery sunlight. It buoyed her spirits immensely.

The amber key was pinched securely between two of the fingers of her right hand. She wouldn't lose track of it again. It was far too precious to her now.

Her massive head was resting against the prostrate Green Knight's shoulder. He was snoring. Patience giggled. She couldn't help herself.

She tilted her head in the direction of the odd crunching noise. It was Wu, who'd obviously come back in response to her psychic announcement on finding the key, and had considerately decided to honor her request to sleep, staying a respectful distance from her paramour and doing whatever Iguanodons did. Most probably eating plants and pooping, if horses and cows were any indication.

And indeed, eating was precisely what he was doing at the moment-except his choice of snack struck Patience as particularly weird. Wu had discovered the stinky, mummified front portion of a half-grown Tenontosaurus cow, and had pinned the mule-deer sized mass to the ground with his front feet, biting off and swallowing chunks of dried flesh and skin like a box turtle, grinding and cracking the bones in his cheek teeth.

Noticing the movement of her head and giggle, Wu raised his own and looked at her from his right eye.

(Looks like you're finally awake,) he commented as he swallowed. (You've been in dreamland for a good three and a half hours. That acro is a sound sleeper.)

(Wow. Yeah, I'd sure say so,) she replied as she yawned. (Umm, care to explain to me why you've suddenly turned carnivorous Henry? You trying to impress the other acros, go a bit native?)

Wu laughed.

(Actually, this Iguanodon's body just had a powerful desire to eat meat when he smelt and saw this partial carcass, so I allowed him to indulge,) he replied as he tore free another bite.

(Why would he want to do something so _weird_ like that, switch to the other team?)

(He just needs to consume it. Why exactly, I don't know.)

(Then how does he know he needs meat at all? Instinct I suppose,) she surmised. (I hope he's not sick or gone loco or something.)

(No, this body is still very fit and healthy. And yes, he's driven by instinct to eat this.)

(My guess,) he postulated, (is that the meat and bones I'm-we're-eating contain important nutrients that his plant-based diet is lacking in, particularly minerals and proteins, and he's taking the opportunity for a supplement.)

(So in other words, for him eating a dead dinosaur is like a more surreal, weird-ass version of cows or horses licking the mineral blocks people put out in their pasture.)

(Essentially,) Wu nodded. (I certainly remember how much he enjoyed the taste of the salt in Zane's blood, when I was cleaning the wound this guy gave him,) he added, glancing briefly at the Green Knight.

(Eww. Disgusting.)

(To our minds, most certainly. But to him, all just part of keeping his body chemistry stable.)

Patience watched as Wu lowered his head again, bit down on the single foreleg left on the half-carcass, and yanked upward, tearing the limb out of its socket. He then proceeded to chomp on it, the bones splintering under his teeth.

She'd seen her cats chew on grass sometimes, when they didn't feel good or for whatever reason, and that always naturally came across as odd to her. But to see an herbivore eating the flesh of another creature was a whole new level of bizzaro and unexpected.

Once the dried-up wrist and fingers of his Iguanodon's smaller cousin vanished down his gullet, Wu gave an oddly satisfied sigh, saying as he cocked his head at the remains, (Ahhh. Well, that was a wonderful dose of minerals and protein for this Iguanodon bull. But now he's had his fill of this strange course.)

Patience sighed as well. (I suppose we'd better head back to where the others are.)

(Oh yes. We've been gone way too long. But first Patience, speaking of instinct, can you come over here and let me have a word with you?)

(Okay,) she replied as she got to her feet, yawning.

First though, she turned her head to look at the Green Knight in repose, studying the sunlight glistening on his green and golden scales as her doubts returned. This couldn't last. Nothing did. People always left, cut you off. They betrayed you. Refused to step up to the plate. And there had been so many in her life…

(Patience.) Wu's voice sternly cut in, drawing her away. She strolled up to him.

(What?)

(Yes,) Wu nodded gravely. (That's exactly the topic. What. Or to clarify, remind you of exactly what you are.)

She didn't want to hear this. (Please Henry…)

Wu's response was to stand up on his hind legs to look more authoritative, even as he reluctantly sighed. It was the sigh of a man who hated to be confrontational.

(Listen Patience,) he began, (I really hate to come across as the bad cop here. But someone needs to be the voice of reason for you, snatch you out of the rabbit hole.)

(What do you mean?)

(You know full well what I mean,) Wu said softly. (You're losing yourself Patience.)

(Losing myself?! No I'm not!) she growled in protest.

(Really? Then what do you call choosing to settle down and sleep away precious time with _him_ instead of coming to get me and going back to Zane, Muldoon, and the others who are counting on us? What do you call scorning my company to go for a stroll alone with this-this dinosaur?), gesturing at the Green Knight with a snow-mitten forepaw.

(I wasn't scorning your company!) Patience gasped indignantly. (I only saw that there was major friction between both of you, and since he wasn't willing to go anywhere, I thought the safest option was to have you leave to look for the key before one of you got hurt in a fight! And I found it thanks to allowing him to lead me on this stroll, so he kind of did you a favor Wu. Every one of us.)

(And I'm extremely thankful that he led you up here and showed you the amber key, believe me,) Wu earnestly replied. (And in the process, I also got to discover an astonishing, never-suspected aspect of acrocanth behavior. But listen, it doesn't change the fact that you've allowed yourself to get into a, let's just say, rather eyebrow-raising relationship with these huge theropods-this one in particular.)

Patience hung her head in shame. (I'm sorry. It's just that...I wanted so deeply to go with him. To be among this body's family, experience being cared about. I feel like I _belong_ with him, crazy as I understand it sounds.)

(We also care about you. And you belong with us,) Wu said firmly. (You are a human being, Patience, meant to have human relationships.)

(Am I? You certainly don't look very human to me right now, Henry. Neither does this body I'm in. So how can you be so sure?)

(It's a temporary state Patience!)

 _Let's hope_ , she thought.

(And I'm sure because what counts, what also makes us human, is what's in your head and your heart,) he told her with a sudden, passionate conviction. (A person is _not_ just their DNA and their physical body. I know this is so strange to hear, coming from a geneticist of all people, but a person isn't only what's on the outside. As a man of Chinese ethnicity, I know this better than anyone else in our group.)

(Hey, I get that it's messed up, okay?) Patience conceded as she looked at the ground. (It's just that...man, these acro instincts are damned strong. I mean, don't you ever feel the urge to mingle with other Iggies Henry? Or maybe even put the moves on a female?)

(Of course I do,) he grudgingly admitted. (Those herding and sexual instincts run deep and are hard to resist-sometimes nearly impossible. But I have to force myself to do it, pick and choose which instincts I'm going to let his body express. And you have to do the same Patience.)

(I know I do. It's just that…) she trailed off, looking at the horizon.

(Just what?) Wu asked coaxingly.

(It's just that-that no one's truly been there for me until now,) she admitted. (Nobody's stayed by me, appreciated me for who and what I am like they have. Like he has.)

(Oh Patience…) Wu said, his voice cracking. His heart seemed to be as well, and Patience was sure that like her, he'd break into tears right now if his body was capable of such a thing.

(Yeah,) she concurred miserably, her own voice breaking as her throat tightened. (And you, Henry-when we get to Ground Zero, you'll have to leave me in the end too.)

Something shifted in Wu's eyes. He seemed glum as he came right up to her on his hind legs. He reached out with a snow-mitt hand and gently caressed her left flank, nuzzling her with his beak as he told her, voice halting, (I'm so sorry Patience. I wish it wasn't that way. I don't pretend to understand everything about how this M.I.N.D machine works, but if I could,) he vowed, (I would find a way to bring you back to Isla Nublar with me, in our own universe.)

Her heart leapt into her throat. (Really? You mean that Henry?)

(Of course,) he said solemnly. (Me, Muldoon, Arnold, we'd all be your family and take care of you, be there for you, give you whatever you wanted.)

(And Hammond!) Wu went on. (He loves kids immensely, would be the doting grandfather you never had. You'd love him, Patience, difficult as he can be sometimes. But you probably know all that from the book we're in already, don't you?)

(Yeah. And that-that _would_ be very nice.)

Wu backed away from her a few yards, and just looked at her silently for a few moments. (Yes. Yes it would be.)

(But it doesn't do either of us any good to make vows we both know can't be put into practice.)

(Well, at least it's still a great thing to imagine. At any rate,) he then softly went on, (until then, we're your friends. You're not alone in this. And you're human at the core.)

(Yeah. I guess. I don't really know anymore. I suppose I'm like a changeling. A chimera. Sometimes I feel so trapped Henry. I mean, I want to make a fist or grab something with my opposable thumb, but I just have these stiff talons for fingers. I want to sit upright on my ass, but I have to do it slumped forward, like a turkey. I want so _badly_ to talk out loud...but I have a mouth that's only good for ripping, tearing flesh, crushing bone and killing.)

(You're not the only one who feels like that on occasion,) Henry sighed as he closed his eyes, once more looking like he might either scream or cry. (There are still times when I think this is all an especially vivid and imaginative nightmare, one that I'm going to wake up from soon. But I never do.)

Nightmare. The word made her frown and cringe internally. Oh, if only poor Henry Wu knew about the second nightmare he was going to be forced to deal with in his future, right on the heels of being sent back from this one!

 _I have to tell him!_ she decided resolutely. _Right here. Right now. While things are still quiet._

It was also a way to kill some time, delay the inevitable. Why couldn't she move from this place? Why couldn't she leave the Green Knight, leave her family, before they left her?

She'd do it. She had to. She would. Soon. First she just had to spill the beans to Wu.

(Anyway, I get the message,) Patience conceded, even as she turned to look back at her suitor. (I need to rise above this body's instincts and my desires. Hard as that may be,) she added.

(Like I said before, I don't want to seem like the bad guy here,) Wu said sympathetically. (But yes, you'll be much more satisfied-and it's certainly much more natural-by relating emotionally to us.)

(Anyway,) Patience began as she turned aside and looked away from both the Green Knight and Wu, shifting her feet in place with tension among the ferns, (I know we need to get back to Zane and the others straight away. But first…)

(Yyeeesss?) Wu replied coaxingly.

(There's not going to be any easy way to tell you this,) she said softly as she briefly made eye contact with him before looking away again, (and man, do I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but there's a secret you need to know Henry.)

Wu was all ears. (What kind of secret?)

(It's a big deal type of secret,) she said haltingly. (And telling you about it is going to majorly upset you, I just have to warn you. Muldoon too, when he hears about it.)

(Is it something you did Patience?) Wu guessed. (Don't worry about how we'll react,) he assured her. (Muldoon, Nedry and I, there's nothing you could do that would ever make us think less of or be ashamed about you. Even if you admitted to kil-)

(It's not that,) Patience said, shaking her head. (Thanks though. Anyway, remember when you guys, when we first met each other, asked us how the book Michael wrote in our universe about you and the park ended for everyone?)

(Yes, I do,) Wu replied. He chuckled. (I never thought I'd ever be asking a question like that in my wildest imagination. Anyway, you and Mr. London said that the ending was a good one.)

Patience felt like the size of a rabbit, and was only just able to meet Wu's gaze as she said, (Well, that wasn't entirely true.)

Wu jerked back, blinking in shock as he reared to his full height. (You mean that was all a lie, that you were putting us on?) he gasped. (You mean that in actual fact in this book, things end up going seriously wrong at the park?)

(Yes,) she said simply, words tearing out of her. (Very, _very_ wrong. And then it's all over but the shouting. And the blood.)

(Impossible,) Wu denied flatly, eyes narrowing. (You're playing games with me, screwing with my head. There's no way serious problems could ever happen at the park. We've taken huge pains with our computer system, the DNA of our dinosaurs, our infrastructure, to prevent any chances of escapes, of power failures, of accidental breeding, of any unwanted incidents you could think of!)

(But they happen Henry!) Patience said earnestly. (I'm not making this up! Murphy's Law hits you guys and the park _hard_ in both the book and the movie.)

(Maybe you simply don't understand,) Wu sighed. (Me, Arnold, Muldoon, and everybody else at Jurassic Park, we're not a bunch of people who just walked off the streets and applied for a job there. We're all experts in our fields-outstanding ones at that-with experience and credentials. We know what we're doing.)

(And the book you're in makes that very clear,) Patience said diplomatically. (You guys at the park, you built a pretty good system. You tried hard, Dr. Wu. But sometimes shit just happens anyway.)

(I don't believe that for a moment,) Wu droned.

(What? Are you even listening?)

(Yes, and I don't believe even a partial collapse of our network at the park could happen. Hell, no offense, but I don't believe _you_ , Patience.)

She gave a low snarl of frustration. (You mean that you _won't_. And it is exactly this kind of denial crap that in the book-universe you come from, gets your ass-)

(Look here!) Wu snapped, starting to lose his temper. (Listen, there are lots of little difficulties and problems we're having with both the animals and the infrastructure at Jurassic Park, I'll gladly admit to that. We've got a list of glitches and bugs in our computer system right now as long as one of our apatosaurs! Little is the operative word, however, and when these bumps arise, we do something to fix them.)

(That's good, but-)

(However, to have a problem come up that's so severe it derails the entire project? No, not even conceivable,) Wu said, shaking his head. (We'd have seen it coming long before, and taken measures to prevent it.)

(Maybe. But have you ever heard the saying, "The worst happens when you least expect it?")

(I don't see how it could.)

(Please Henry. I'm just telling you the facts. I know you don't want to hear them or see how it's possible, but I'm only trying to warn you, tell you what I know is coming your way.)

(But I have only your word on that Patience! And all you can only go on is information you got secondhand from a novel, a _work of fiction_ in your world! How am I supposed to possibly take such a claim seriously?) he inquired as he spread out his scaly baseball glove hands.

(You really can't,) Patience admitted. He had her by the shorts there. But then her quills bristled.

(But after all we've been through, the depth to which we've gotten to know each other, shouldn't my word be enough Henry? Don't you trust me not to lie, especially about something as serious as that? Considering that I'm using my time, going through all this crap, just to tell you the truth about what's coming? Please, at least have enough respect to listen to what I'm trying to tell you.)

Wu was silent for a time.

(Okay,) he said at length. (The idea of Jurassic Park experiencing any type of severe failure or breakout is one that I find to be wildly unlikely, and honestly even insulting. But I also know you're being sincere Patience, and that you can only tell me what you know. So I'll hear what you have to say,) he conceded as he dropped back to all fours.

She was immensely relieved. Yet trepidation welled up within her as she went Wu's Iguanodon gaze.

(Do you want me to give you the cold, harsh basics-or start right at um, well, the start of how this huge clusterfuck all goes down on Isla Nublar?)

(Whoa,) Wu commented, jerking his horse head back and blinking in shock at her profanity. (That was pretty blunt from you. But yes, please begin at the beginning. If, as you claim, the park truly is at risk of an immediate, impending collapse, then we need to know as many aspects of the sequence of events as we-meaning Muldoon, Nedry, and I-can, if we are to effectively prevent this fluke disaster when we get sent back.)

(Well,) Patience sighed, (I guess first I'd better start with the factors in both the book and the movie that set the stage for it to happen at all. The ingredients, in other words.)

And so she told him. Relying too much on the electric fences for security, without having trained personnel as backup, actual boots on the ground. Having Muldoon as the only game warden, when they should be having at least one warden with real-world experience in charge of every species of dinosaur at the park. Not having _real_ weapons, things like grenade launchers, high caliber rifles, other forms of firepower that could quickly and effectively stop a dinosaur at large in its tracks. Relying _way_ too much on computers to perform all the major tasks of running the park for them, when they should, at the very least, have properly trained staff on standby to take the helm if the system ever crashed. The fact that the park was on an island way out at sea, at least two hours by boat from the mainland, making it very difficult to get assistance or needed supplies in a timely fashion if a crisis developed. And last but not least, the plain fact that the park was taking on the daunting, never-before-attempted task of taking care of and keeping under control an entirely new class of animals, creatures which had minds of their own and whose behavior was in many ways largely a major question mark.

Some aspects of Patience's laundry list of vulnerabilities were ones that Wu also agreed posed a hazard, such as Isla Nublar's remoteness, and Hammond's overemphasis on using non-lethal weapons to deal with any danger from the dinosaurs-a viewpoint he and Muldoon had been trying to sway him from for the past year and a half.

Others though, like the idea of the electric fences ever failing for any length of time as a whole, he clearly regarded as impossible. No way Jose.

(So that's the whole list of contributing factors then, I take it?) he asked her.

(Pretty much.)

(I'm not entirely convinced all of those aspects of the park are nearly as problematic as you make them out to be Patience,) he said dubiously as he looked at her from his left eye. (Again, the park is a lot more stable and secure than you give it credit for. Still, let's just say they all come together to form a literal recipe for disaster. Not that they would, but let's say for argument's sake that they do. So then, what serves as the kicker in this novel about us? After all, a forest fire won't happen unless there's a spark, no matter how dry the weather is and how much material there is to burn.)

With great reluctance, Patience exhaled before looking right at Wu and telling him, (I really hate squealing on people like this, but…It's Dennis, Dr. Wu. Dennis Nedry. He causes-or will cause-the whole mess by turni-)

Suddenly, Patience cut herself off as she realized with a start that the sunlight and pale silver clouds had been overtaken by low, ominously brooding new clouds, charcoal black with a dark green tinge.

It sent a chill through her. As a resident of Big Sky Country, she knew too well what clouds like these meant. And what would come out from them. Rain suddenly bucketed down, and thunder roared.

And the wind! What sudden, brutal winds! She could sense that nature was building up to something, gathering her power and fury.

(Uh, Wu? I think we're going to have to return to that page later.)

(I think you're right. Definitely bad news brewing here!)

She turned and went to the Green Knight, nudging him hard with her nose.

(Green Knight,) she hissed urgently. (Get up!)

His eyes flickered open, and he raised his head.

(We've all got to get out of here!)

Something bad was definitely coming. Patience could feel it, her quills stiff with tension.

The Green Knight rose onto his feet and walked forward to where Wu was, his hostility towards the geneticist forgotten as the heavy winds and pelting rain buffeted him. Patience felt them too, and Wu had already dropped down on all fours for greater stability.

(We need to get off this ridge!) he yelled as a bolt of lightning flashed above them. All three of them needed no prompting, racing down the front slope, crashing and barreling through tree ferns and bushes and young conifers in their haste to reach the shelter of the bottom.

When their party of three reached the bottom of the high ridge, they all hurriedly, tensely glanced at each other, then at the storm raging around them, unleashing its might. Patience was positive she even saw Wu and the Green Knight share the same telling expression of concern with each other!

Should they make a run for a more secure, better sheltered area? Should they stay here, in the partial protection of the steep hill, and try to wait it out?

Frantically, Patience scanned the horizon, waiting for the menace to coalesce, to show itself. Suddenly, it rose up from over a hill on her left and came howling towards them.

(Jesus!) Wu shouted. It didn't seem to be a curse. Hearing the fear in his voice, from the adult in their group, wasn't exactly reassuring to Patience.

What approached was not a thing of the earth. It had come down from the heavens. A swirling dark mass, a lethal funnel of air with spidery tendrils of lightning flashing in its outer and upper portions. Caught up in this hungry, vacuuming embrace was soil, sand, pieces of shattered trees, gravel and jagged rock, mud, and even a few writhing, living creatures!

A tornado! Her foster father however, Stan Mushnick, knew them by a different name. The Finger of God.

Its base was sixty feet across, the top blotting out the sky.

Wu immediately yelled and broke into wild flight, charging away from the base of the ridge and running off through the woods at full tilt. Running like the grizzly bears were after him. Patience was right at his heels.

The Green Knight roared defiantly to ward the tornado off. Patience screamed at him with both her mind and her mouth to run, but she could no longer hear herself over the deafening roar of the winds that body-slammed her and Wu.

The Green Knight stared in what looked like astonishment at the rushing mass of wind and fury heading right for him, blinking and clacking his jaws. Then he too, bolted. Patience tried to stay beside him, but the twister forced her and Wu to dodge aside, cutting a path between both acros.

She cut across the landscape, feet pounding as Wu ran ten yards off to her right, eyes wide with fear. Tree trunks cracked and broke and fell behind them. No matter where they ran, the tornado seemed to follow. Somewhere in her panicked flight, she glanced to her right, and realized with a shock that Wu wasn't there anymore! But she couldn't dwell on it.

The way before her was a confusion of sharp rises, hollows, even some ravines and crevices. She recognized this area and realized that she'd been racing away from the Acrocanthosaurus camp/den site, away from "home."

Her family would be safe.

But what about Henry? And the Green Knight?

She had no clue if they'd managed to elude this twister, or had been overwhelmed by it.

 _No!_ she chided herself. _They're safe, both of them. They have to be! Oh please, let them both be safe!_

A brilliant white spear of lightning flicked out and blasted a tree to her left, the shockwave seeming to blow apart the world. She ran blindly until her legs burned and her breath came raspy in her chest. The twister was nearly on top of her! Worst of all, the way ahead was hazardous.

She saw four rises ahead, with three possible paths to take between them. She had to choose among the three paths, with no way of knowing where the tornado would go, or where any of them would lead.

The twister painfully pulled her arms back, and her claws were nearly pried open.

 _You're not getting it!_ she mentally yelled, grasping the amber key tighter.

Then Patience did the last thing she would ever do in a game, praying this strategy would work. She chose the center path, put her head down, and ran for it!

The twister veered off, racing up the sharp rise to her right. A huge bough sailed at her like a javelin, missing her head by inches. She glimpsed the form of a pterodactyl whipping by her like a sheet of newspaper, croaking in helpless terror.

She wanted to stop and let the twister move ahead of her, but the constant, stinging shower of debris made that impossible. She just had to keep running, dodging the shower of earth and rock.

The twister drove her on, out of the woods and into the open.

She saw the landscape ahead. It was flat. A herd of over a hundred Tenontosaurus and a breeding herd of thirty Iguanodons were out there, eyes huge and feet thudding in a thunder of their own as they stampeded for their lives from the tornado, calling out over and over. Once she was out there, she would be the tallest object around, and lightning could hit her.

The narrow lane between the rises widened, and Patience heard the twister veer back. It was no longer a force of nature to her.

She thought of the Green Knight, and the way he had stood his ground and roared as the twister came right at him. As if it had been alive…

To Patience, the lethal tube of wind and the storm it came out of now had a face and a form. It was everyone and everything that had ever left her, or had forced her to leave.

She bolted into the open and turned. But there was no grinning face in the swirling funnel. No demonic eyes or anything that triumphantly laughed like some Disney villain. The malevolent thing she'd been running from didn't actually exist. This was a force of nature, nothing more.

But it was still no less dangerous for that.

As if to drive home the point, there was an electric, sky-splitting crack of lightning that nearly knocked Patience over, dazzling her as just seventy feet on her right and in front of her, an Iguandon cow gave a bellowing scream and toppled, smashing into the ground like a stone idol, her legs stiffening and body smoking. Dead as a doorknob. It wasn't nearly as funny as in the cartoons.

Then the ground beneath her feet gave way. She screamed as the twister came at her. Patience found herself tumbling over the edge of a deep ravine she hadn't even noticed. She hit the sandy bottom hard on her feet and chest, flopping over even as a great wave of windblown dirt and rock fell on her, half-burying her huge body.

Lightning flashed and struck the earth very near, blinding her as a Tenontosaurus yelled in agony! She squeezed her eyes shut, dug in her claws, and hoped for the best as the tornado shrieked above her and the breath was drawn from her lungs and air sacs-

And then the twister went roaring away.

Partly buried, barely able to believe she was still alive and deeply shaken, Patience breathed hard for several moments.

An image of the key flashed in her mind. The precious, fragile key…

She could feel something between her fingers, but she didn't know if the amber key was still in one piece. Slowly and carefully, she extracted herself from the mound of soil and got to her feet, nervously examining the amber key.

It was still intact, thank goodness.

Then, carefully, she hauled herself out of the ravine and looked around. Off in the distance to her right, she saw the tornado taking on a stretchy, snake-like form. And then to her great relief, it broke up.

But the wind and rain was still heavy, and the sky a dark gray.

Panting, Patience tensed as she once more felt the pull of Ground Zero, and realized the storm was headed in that general direction.

She ran in that direction, knowing she needed to seriously make up for lost time, trying hard not to think about the Green Knight, how Henry was, or home. Yet, a mournful feeling rose in her. It was the emotions of her acro body, certain that she would never find her suitor again, and was now utterly lost and alone.

But that wasn't _Patience's_ problem. It simply wasn't!

Even so, the idea depressed her. So the paid close attention to odd landmarks that might help her host body get home when all this was over. It was a route she also wanted to learn in case their mission was a failure.

She traveled north for several hours at a hard trot.

Until she saw a lone Iguanodon bull, cropping bedraggled flowers on all fours. Not far away was a great, jutting tree bough, perhaps the longest she'd ever seen. Talk about a landmark.

She was just idly wondering if the Iggy bull was Wu by any chance, when he raised his head and looked at her, rectangular pupils dilating with cautious recognition.

Delight, relief, and joy surged through her as he said, half-rearing as he did, (Patience? Is that you?)

(None other,) she grinned.

At the words, Wu leapt to his feet and ran toward her in excitement, exclaiming in deep relief that mirrored her own, (Oh, thank heavens you're okay! I thought the tornado had caught you.)

(I did too,) she said gratefully. (I tried to stay close to you, but-)

(It doesn't matter,) Wu dismissed as he reached her, and actually embraced her, long head sliding over her shoulder. (You did what you needed to do to evade it. And we're reunited again,) he said warmly as she gently returned the hug, both dinosaurs, predator and prey, staying in that strange embrace for several long moments before parting, Wu nuzzling her side.

(I nearly didn't,) Patience admitted. (In fact, at one point I actually had to hit the dirt in a ravine while the tornado went right over me!)

(Whoa!) came other male voice. (You had a freaking _tornado_ go over you Patience? And you lived? Holy…) She cocked her head, and saw the branch moving.

Zane. The "landmark" was his long neck!

(Damn,) Nedry drawled in astonishment. (You are one lucky overgrown lizard!)

(Well, that sounds like quite a hair-raising experience,) Muldoon commented.

The astrodon stood beside a clump of tall conifers, feeding. Harriet was playing with Runt, running circles around him, leaping over his tail, darting at him and then bolting as he chased her and wheeled about, seeming to enjoy participating in the antics as much as the smaller troodont.

Mr. London was up in one of the trees, staying away from the commotion and eating what looked like Spanish moss. Muldoon was chomping on a spreading, juniper-type conifer, and Nedry was trying to stay dry under a big leaning log, shaking the water from his plumage now and again.

(And what about the key?) Nedry asked.

(Yes,) Mr. London said as he scrambled along the swaying branches. (Do you still have it? Do you?)

(Don't worry,) Patience assured him, everyone sagging and exhaling with relief as she held out the key. (Still got it. And out of curiosity, what took you guys all the way here from where Wu and I left you?)

(In one word, impatience,) Nedry snapped. (I mean holy Jesus Patience, what took you and Henry so damned long?)

(We were worried utterly sick about you,) Muldoon chimed in, (and were close to giving both of you up for dead when Zane got your mental message. We decided that we couldn't afford to hang about after that, and headed off for Ground Zero on our own, trusting both of you would catch up in good time.)

(When did Henry rejoin you?)

(Just ten minutes ago or so,) Zane replied.

(I see. Anyway, I'm sorry for making you guys worried and mad,) she apologized. (It was all my fault, and I know I wasted way too much of the group's precious time instead of immediately coming back after we had the amber key back. I won't do that again.)

(Let's hope-) Nedry began. Then suddenly, the feathers along his spine stood up and his dark eyes widened as his little body tensed, looking at something in the sky above and behind her. (Oh, mother of Jesus,) he intoned.

She turned to look with trepidation, and saw Mr. London freeze too as like her, he saw another funnel cloud materialize in the near distance.

(A second tornado?!) Wu shouted in disbelief. (Oh, this is not the way I like my dice to roll.)

(London!) Patience yelled up at the hypsy. (You've got to come down,) she pleaded. (Now!)

The science teacher stared at the dark spiral, dark blue crest stiff, hypnotized.

(Zane, bring him down!) Patience commanded.

Zane thrust his head high into the branches and nudged Mr. London's flank, who then climbed onto his head.

(Going down,) Zane whispered fearfully.

Patience gently grabbed the teacher, holding him in her arms like a terrified child as he shook with fear.

(What do we do?) he moaned in terror as he looked up at her. (We're right in its path, and it's too close for Zane or Muldoon to outrun now!)

Muldoon was quickly casting about with his little dark ochre eyes for any place to use as shelter from the onrushing twister. (Over there!) he shouted, turning and gesturing with his muzzle at a small bluff on a low ridge a hundred and fifty feet away, the face of it rising five and a half stories high. At the base was a narrow, horizontal cave, more of a glorified crevice than anything else. Another great fissure ran down the face of the bluff, twenty-five feet tall and as wide as a semi-truck.

They all ran for them.

On reaching the small cave, Muldoon raced inside with the amazingly swift run of a hippo and went as far back into the tightening crevice as he could, turning and wedging his spiky, bone encrusted Sauropelta body between the floor and ceiling, head facing outward. Wu plunged into the vertical fissure, frantically digging out gravel and dirt and broken rock to make more room for his vast body. But soon he'd removed enough to get most of his body inside, lying down on his belly with only the tip of his tail jutting outside.

Right away, Patience saw the problem. Muldoon and Wu were secure enough in their caves in the bluff face, but neither she nor Zane could fit into them. She also realized that Nedry, Harriet, Mr. London, they wouldn't be safe inside them either. Both caves just were not long enough to keep their small, fragile bodies from being sucked out of them by the twister's ravaging winds.

Zane shook all over, saying, (What do we do?) as Patience turned away and looked at the trees around them, eyes darting. One great, weathered redwood stood out in particular as a refuge. Its trunk was massive, and thick, spreading roots snaked into the ground in all directions.

(We're going over there!) Patience growled out. (Everyone move it!)

(Good luck!) Muldoon wished them from his stone shelter. (I wish there was enough safe room for you folks in this crack, but it can't be helped.)

(Get somewhere good and safe and keep your heads down at all costs!) Wu added. (And don't panic, whatever you do!)

The winds were brutal, golf-ball sized hail now pelting them.

Zane led Runt toward the great tree in a wild, running walk. Nedry and Harriet quickly outpaced them as Patience followed, holding Mr. London.

(I-I saw something very like this on the Discovery Channel,) Mr. London stammered.

Patience simply held him close. She hoped to heaven Wu and Muldoon had chosen their bunkers wisely. She wasn't going to lose any of them, not even Nedry. Not to whatever was waiting at Ground Zero. Not ever again!

(Zane, clamp your front legs against the base of the tree!) she urged. Zane did so, even as he loosely clenched Runt's body in the pit of one of his front legs, who had also wisely chosen to lay down. Runt huddled close. Zane shifted his bulk to further wedge the younger sauropod in place.

Nedry had dived into a shallow hole underneath the tree and curled up in a ball, shaking all over. Although the cranny was big enough to hold her as well, Harriet refused to go in, barking at her mate and even kicking him!

(Quit that!) Nedry yelled at her. (I'm not moving from this storm shelter, turkey!)

(Just get out from there and follow her!) Patience commanded.

(Why?)

(Because Harriet knows what she's doing!) Patience shouted. (She knows how to survive in a situation like this way better than any of us do!)

He hesitated briefly, looking at her, then at Harriet.

(Okay then,) he conceded as he emerged from the shallow hole, eyes locked on the other troodontid. (You lead the way girl,) he addressed her.

Harriet immediately bolted away from the tree with the speed of a cat, Nedry right behind her. Patience was just barely able to see the colorful pair of little, three-foot tall theropods race up to a huge hollow log, big around as a monster truck's tire and covered with moss, and jump inside through an oval-shaped hole. Good a storm shelter as any out here.

She then glanced at Mr. London. (Do you trust me?)

He looked back with his visored eyes as he nodded.

(Good.) She pressed him up against Zane's left leg, and then wrapped her stout little arms around the bent pillar of flesh. She pinched the amber key between her fingers, afraid that it would shatter.

She could feel the hail pounding on her skin, bouncing off, the twister pulling at her already.

(Zane's neck!) Mr. London gasped. (He has to anchor it under those roots!)

She immediately understood. Zane's tail could twist and curl, but if the howling winds forced his neck too far to the side, they could break it. Thankfully, was another large tree just a few yards ahead. Parts of its roots looped up out of the ground like croquet wickets.

(Zane, did that sink in?) she called, even as she cowered. The twister was almost on them.

(R-r-roots?) he stammered, eyes clenched.

(Slide your head and neck under them. Do it for God's sake!) she roared.

Zane went into even more of a camel posture, half submerging Patience and London under a massive flank. He slid his head and neck under and among the roots of the other tree.

London was fighting against her.

(I can't _breathe_ , you're crushing me-)

(Zane!) she yelled. (Shift your weight! Shift your weight to the left a few inches!)

Panting, Patience stumbled forward, losing her grip. London scrambled out from underneath her seconds before she hit the ground. Zane's fifteen and a half tons gently settled down on her, pinning her in place.

Then the twister was _there_ , passing just the length of an eighteen-wheeler away from them, on their right side.

(Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…) Nedry chanted from in the hollow log.

(I'll be good I'll be good I'll be good…) Zane also chanted.

(Hang in there Patience!) Wu urged.

Patience said nothing as she clutched Mr. London as the tornadic winds howled like weird French horns, buzzed like downed power lines. His little feathery body didn't clutch at or squirm against her chest anymore. She wondered if he'd passed out.

Zane's body was savagely buffeted. Dirt and gravel sandblasted them. Above them, boughs shattered and were flung away. Zane's huge frame was actually lifted partly off the ground, his tail whipping frequently as he screamed. It was like standing behind a jet liner's engines.

Patience cowered in utter terror, hoping she was keeping her grip loose enough not to crush the key or the teacher.

She shifted her gaze to check on the latter as the winds lessened slightly, and gasped.

She wasn't holding Mr. London anymore! It was a small log, a soggy log covered with thick moss, a chunk of the debris carried by the tornado!

Then her left eye caught a tiny, flailing figure spinning in the vortex as it began to move off. A desperate wailing slashed through her mind.

( _Heelllllllllppppp! Heelllllpppp mmeeeeee!)_ the science teacher pleaded.

 _Everyone leaves_ , Patience thought crazily, sickly.

 _Everyone in the-_

She shouted as the wind's force receded, and Zane's body partially fell on her. She writhed free and managed to stand up, just in time to helplessly watch the tornado spiraling away from them-taking Mr. London with it as it seemed to triumphantly howl.


	16. Chapter 16

**And now in this chapter, we follow the adventures of Robert London, Hypsilophodon, as he's forced to go solo, meeting new hazards and dinosaurs, some friends-and some enemies.**

* * *

 **Bob**

Sploosh!

Landing in the water of the small lake was like hitting a cold pane of glass as Bob London, legs kicking, hit the surface from a height of two hundred feet. He heard the roar of the twister moving off and growing less intense as it began to break up and his head popped back up above the surface, fighting to keep himself from sinking and being shoved underneath by the lashing waves. He was beyond dizzy, and spying a broken chunk of cycad close by, lunged for it and hung on until he felt somewhat more clearheaded. Then, swimming in the fashion of a chicken, tail swinging, he struck out for the shore a quarter mile away.

He had no idea how far the twister had taken him or how long he'd been in its grip, being whipped around like a candy wrapper and feeling like he was in a blender full of bees, gravel and sticks stinging him. He'd blacked out several times, and once had seen a Sauropelta cow, guttural screams of terror that reflected his own bursting from her long throat, pass by him in the air several times, stubby legs churning, before she was finally flung aside by the "Devil's Tail." None of it all mattered now though. He was safe. And alive!

As he swam, slicing through the water, he smelt its fresh, clean tang. A melody of other scents came to him, the olfactory equivalent of a dozen rap songs all being sung at once. The odors of other living creatures came to him from the shore, ranging from dragonflies to sauropods. But for now, none of them seemed threatening.

Ahead, he saw columns of golden light pouring down, widening, and revealing bright, fresh patches of green under growing patches of soft blue sky. It was magnificent.

Life was magnificent!

All the surpassing fear had now drained away. He had faced and survived something greater than himself, an implacable power that dwarfed even that of the M.I.N.D. Machine.

What he had just experienced wasn't something he'd read, or theorized about. For the second time now, he'd been on the inside of an event. He wanted more! He was euphoric about it, thrilled that he'd faced such power and lived!

He was hungry. Thirsty. Happy.

(Whoo, I'm just giddy!) Robert London yelled to the universe. (High on life, ecstatic!)

He reached the shore, feet scraping, then gaining purchase on the sand, and this time didn't think about taking careful mental scientific notes, or cataloguing the exotic plants he saw around him. What mattered was the thrilling joy and thankfulness released within him, which he gave voice to by softly singing "Shining Star," by Earth, Wind, and Fire.

 _Glorious. All just glorious._

He shook the lake's water from his bedraggled, very much worse-for-wear coat of green and pink feathers like a dog. Then, crouching on a small spit of gravel, he spent several minutes grooming himself, getting his insulating plumage back into good condition.

From a gland above his hips, he wiped out a yellowish oil, using his five-fingered hands and beak to smear it over himself, covering everything from face to tail tip. The oil had a surprisingly pleasurable smell to it, one that reminded London of fresh grass clippings.

He shook himself one more time, then walked into the open forest, feeding as he did so, forcing his exhausted legs onward. Three quarters of a mile in, he came across a large, sandy clearing where he could bask in the sun, a hundred and sixty feet in diameter.

Bob's sensitive nose caught an herbal, pungent scent off to his left, and turned. He saw an enormous mound of dung, composed of half-digested conifer needles and the fibers from twigs. It was from a sauropod. A huge sauropod, one even bigger than Zane's Astrodon.

London had a strong suspicion he knew which type of sauropod had produced it. He also estimated that the dino pie was the size of a tool shed. Well, it had been, before the dung beetles got to it.

Although fairly fresh, the pile of sauropod poo had already been reduced to half its size by a seething, iridescent mass of dung beetles, clambering over and in it. Black, brown, metallic green, sapphire blue, or ashy gray in color, they ranged in size from as small as shooter marbles to giants as huge as large apples.

Some species formed balls of the tawny, fiber-filled dung into balls with their thick, curved legs, which they then rolled away from the insect scrum off into the forest to bury and eat, occasionally having to battle fellow beetles who found the idea of simply stealing a premade dung ball to be much more convenient then making their own, buzzing and scrabbling.

Others, especially the bigger species, dug straight down through the pulsating mass of feces with their stout, trowel-like front legs until they reached the soil, where they then dug a two to four foot deep hole. Then, doing a 180, they grabbed gobs of dino dung and dragged them to the bottom of the hole, where they could feed on it in peace.

Bob's Hypsilophodon body was a plant eater. All the same, after enduring a stressful ride in the tornado, it was in the mood for a major protein boost. And Bob knew, a feeling of disgust infusing his gut that they were looking at the perfect source.

The idea of eating insects, especially ones that ate and crawled in crap, was to put it mildly, extremely repellant to his human mind. But the hypsy's sense of taste had enjoyed the flavor of all the plants he'd eaten so far. So he presumed it would enjoy the taste of dung beetle as well. Besides, surely it must know what it was doing?

Bob let the Hypsilophodon take control, pacing over to the dung hill. The beetles were remarkably clean, but when Bob's hypsy hands grabbed their victim, a sapphire blue giant the size of a lime, he couldn't help but wipe the flailing, buzzing captive through the rain-drenched leaves quite well first to clean it. Then he allowed his host body to indulge.

He cleaned and ate a second one, then moved away to lie down and bask in the warm sun. He dozed blissfully for an hour or two, his hypsy instincts keeping watch for them-and snapped alert to high, chittering, clicking sounds. He languidly rolled onto his back and rubbed his spine against a rock, scratching an itch.

 _This is almost like being at camp,_ he decided, listening to the frogs, toads, and insects around him. _And I'm sure a happy camper!_

Then, from his right eye, he saw four other Hypsilophodons eyeing him curiously. They chittered and clicked, cocking their heads and regarding him with their dark red eyes. Despite the sour look their beetling brows lent them, Bob's hypsy instincts were unconcerned, and sensed no aggression. They were a group of bachelor cocks, just like him. A group he could join for safety.

(Hello there!) he greeted them, righting himself into a seated position, shaking himself.

They stood tall on their legs, coming forward to sniff him thoughtfully. He did the same, beak closed to show peaceful intent.

(What do you guys do for fun around here when you aren't eating plants?) he cordially asked.

The little plant-eaters looked about suspiciously, in all directions.

(Something I said?) Bob asked. (Don't worry, my head-voice won't harm you. And you'll get used to it-)

And suddenly, the ground thundered and shook!

Bob nearly leapt out of his skin with a guttural click, then a snort, as excited, deep coughs came from every directions.

DANGER-PREDATORS-DANGER-KILLERS, a voice within him shouted in panic. He saw twigs, vines, pieces of bark falling from the trees nearby.

A band of perhaps eight beaked dinosaurs, eight feet long and covered in chocolate brown feathers with yellow ochre patches, their faces covered in bare, warty lavender skin, emerged from the forest surrounding him. Fans of feathers, silver gray and vaned in structure, circled the rear thirds of their tails. The sun glinted off their heavy banana yellow beaks and seemingly lacquered black claws. Bob recognized them at once.

Microvenator. A poorly known genus of oviraptorid. A theropod. Which meant meat-eater. They weren't all that much bigger than the Hypsilophodons, and they didn't have mouths full of nasty scary teeth, but they were no less deadly for that. Bob's blue crest went stiff as he sensed their hunger, their predatory intent. It blazed in their dark raven eyes.

Another thundering footfall rumbled, and he heard a drawn-out moo. A shadow draped the sandy clearing.

Bob tore his gaze away from the Microvenators, and glanced up to see the tallest creature ever known to have walked the earth. It was a sauropod, a brachiosaurid-but one far bigger than Zane's astro body. It was four times bigger! From the tip of its tail to the tip of his snout-Bob smelt that the giant was a male-rearing impossibly high above the forest floor, the dinosaur was a hundred feet in length. The crested head was so high it nearly disappeared from view, broad and wide like the blade of a spade.

He was awe-inspiring. Magnificent. And just plain beautiful.

The ground quivered again as the sauropod strode through the forest. Then a gigantic, scaly cobalt blue column, flexed at the wrist, with a single outthrust blunt claw and a semicircular footpad, rough and callused, loomed overhead. It was so massive that Bob wondered if it could even fit into his living room.

This dinosaurian god cared nothing for the presence or well-being of smaller, lesser creatures in his path. He was a juggernaut in the flesh.

 _Well, this isn't good,_ he thought, feather coat on end.

He stood in place-frozen like all the others-only bolting just as the great foot came crashing down!

* * *

 **And thus ends my crossover version of Book #3 of Dinoverse, Raptor Without A Cause. Next chapter will pick up at the beginning of the second and final book in this arc, #4, Please Don't Eat The Teacher! Hope you enjoy the second half!**

 **While the idea of a plant eater eating insects like London's hypsy body does here may seem unexpected, animals have a charming habit of not always playing by our preconceived notions. Many modern herbivores, parrots, deer, sheep, duikers, cattle, beavers, tortoises, and others, have been seen now and again to eat frogs, mice, baby birds, insects, eggs, crabs, and other small animals, apparently for extra protein and minerals.**

 **A few times in this tale, Scott writes of London's Hypsilophodon as climbing and feeding in trees. That may be a holdover from an old, now long-discredited theory, held by some paleontologists from the late 19th to mid 20th century, that Hypsilophodon had a backward-pointing first toe on each foot, which would've been used in combination with its five-fingered hands to grip and climb on branches. Turns out though, the first toe actually pointed _forward_ , and we now know that hypsys stayed firmly on the ground, and were fast, agile runners like modern antelope today.**

 **But wait a minute. There are some animals today, like goats, pythons, wolverines, young owls, and gray foxes, which when you look at their skeletons, have no readily obvious adaptations for tree climbing. No opposable thumbs, gripping hands, long claws to grip with or light little bodies. But they can climb and move around in trees anyhow. There is even a species of penguin that sometimes clambers into the lower branches of trees and shrubs! So I've had Bob's Hypsilophodon body defy conventional wisdom here too. :)**

 **Finally, while we shouldn't take things too far, and always use what we know about the skeletal structure and musculature of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures as a solid foundation first and foremost, I'm personally not afraid to have my dinosaurs act in some wonderfully bizarre ways, do things that break the mold, have feathers when plausible and even crazy-looking structures like wattles and combs and eyespots. Some may call that refreshing and innovative, or just plain awesome. Others may be skeptical, saying its too daring, that portraying them that way is a ridiculous flight of fantasy.**

 **And both parties, to some degree, are right in their views. Because something tells me the real, true-life dinosaurs of the Mesozoic looked and acted nothing like the way I or anyone else has portrayed them, whether in prose, paint, pixels, or on film. They were even _weirder_.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Bertram**

 _Wetherford, Montana._

 _May 17, 2000, 12:27 p.m._

 _Six minutes after Time and Awareness Displacement Event._

Bertram Phillips crouched and quaked in a dark corner, his heart thundering, face and forehead coated in sweat. Time was quite _literally_ against him.

He was hiding in the basement of Wetherford Junior High, behind a wall of cardboard cartons containing who knew what and a few metal folding chairs. The concrete floor was littered with gobs of chewing gum, splatters of sticky soda, and he thought he could faintly detect the odors of both tobacco and marijuana smoke.

Bertram slowly peeked around the stacked cartons, hands clenching the arching upper edge of a collapsed folding chair so forcefully his fingers were white. The lights in the basement had just flickered off. The only illumination came from a great cocoon of crackling blue-white energy twenty feet away.

At the center of that cocoon of electricity sat Bertram's creation and curse, the M.I.N.D. Machine. It had begun as his flashy science fair project eight months earlier-but had quickly, inexplicably become something more.

The Memory Interpreter Device was ten feet tall and several feet wide. Over a dozen computer monitors lined its face. Thick cables and circuitry panels had been welded to its huge metal frame. A rectangular space had been hollowed out in its center and a chair sat within it, along with a table housing a computer keyboard.

Mr. London, Bertram's teacher, lay crumpled beside the machine. Tendrils of energy snaked out from the quivering, rocking, blinking gadget, and caressed Mr. London's body. Lightning sparked at his fingertips.

Another cluster of tendrils flowed out and played over a paperback copy of Jurassic Park, a mutual favorite of theirs.

Bertram's face and heart both fell at the sight.

Mr. London had told him the machine _was history_. The teacher had used those exact same words.

Bertram had assumed-with a mixture of both relief and regret-that meant the M.I.N.D. Machine had been dismantled. But, thinking about it now, Bertram realized his teacher hadn't lied to him.

Well, not totally.

The M.I.N.D. Machine truly _was_ history-history made real. It offered all of time to its user, allowing them to visit any era, to see and experience anything…

To _be_ anything.

No, Mr. London hadn't lied. But he had broken his promise to Bertram, stuck his nose where it didn't belong.

 _Why?_

The machine was unpredictable and dangerous. It was far too powerful to be kept around, be allowed to exist. What happened when Mr. London had reactivated it was proof of that.

And Mr. London was hardly the only one who had been affected by the machine's energies. Bertram looked down at his own hands and saw tiny bursts of muted blue light flowing over his fingers. With an uneasy grimace, he shot a glance over his shoulder and hid his hands in the pockets of his khakis, worried that the light might draw unwanted attention.

It _was_ the reason he was hiding after all…

Because Bertram and Mr. London weren't alone anymore in the school basement. Far from it.

Shadowy, forward-tilted forms rose up along the walls, snaked across the floor, and swept across the ceiling.

Bertram heard soft hisses and chirps, along with the clicks of sharp claws, and the odd grinding of oversized teeth.

Tails rasped and scraped against objects and walls. Grunts and exhalations.

Bertram hunched lower, quivering.

His time in the body of an Ankylosaurus had been a life-changing experience, and some of the animal's confidence and power had stayed with him after he'd returned to the present.

And so it was that he'd taken up baseball and weightlifting during the past eight months, besides being probably the smartest guy in the student body. Under ordinary circumstances, he could take care of himself.

Indeed, a little over five months ago, while taking his neighbor's Shetland Sheepdog Ariel for her daily walk (her owners had gone on a Caribbean cruise for the holidays, and asked if Bertram would take care of her in the meantime), a coyote had slunk out of the evening twilight, briefly stalked them, and then charged, attacking Ariel! But Bertram had found the courage to stand in front of the Sheltie, and kicked the coyote hard in the face with a booted foot. Wile E. Coyote gave a sharp yelp of surprise, and decided to beat it, running off through the snow at a canter. He could always eat some trash or cat food instead.

And he had a folding chair literally at hand as a weapon. But the beings he was facing weren't normal at all…

Bertram vividly remembered the shock he'd felt when the crackling tendrils of energy first burst through the floor of his classroom. He still heard the screams and saw the stunned expressions of the students who'd been struck by that energy, their minds torn from their bodies and sent-

Elsewhere.

He'd seen seven students fall into comas as the lightning gripped them. He had stepped over the sleeping forms of ten more as he'd raced wildly from his civics class, across the hall, down the stairs, and finally here into the basement, where he'd sensed he'd find the cause of the disturbance.

Perhaps it was because the machine had already touched and interacted with him, but just by touching the keyboard and looking at the occasional flicker of an image on the screens, Bertram had learned that Mr. London and three new students had been sent back to Texas and Oklahoma, 112 million years ago.

Even more shockingly, they'd been joined by three other companions-ones who were human, but literally not of this world. Bertram knew all about the concept of a vast, infinite multiverse, containing universes and worlds in which every single possible outcome of an event, every possibility of a thing, existed, as predicted and theorized by quantum mechanics. And when he'd first laid eyes on how the copy of Jurassic Park was softly glowing blue, it had sent a suspicious, knowing chill down his spine.

But the revelation he'd gotten on touching the keyboard, the idea that the machine was so powerful that it could break the quantum boundaries between universes, that the characters in one of his favorite books and movies and the ill-fated park they worked at actually existed in at least one alternate universe, and were now interacting with Mr. London and the other students from his school…it was miles beyond unbelievable, to the point where he could've been knocked over with a feather as it had all hit Bertram.

Now they all had to come together and perform a mission-and prevent an earth-shattering event from occurring- or the world of here and now would cease to exist. Idly, he wondered if the outcome of the novel would now be majorly altered as well.

Unfortunately, there was precious little time to reflect, and Bertram had been unable to do more than connect briefly with both groups of lost travelers. He was able to tell them exactly what had happened to them, why they were there, and not much more. Even he didn't know what the "event" was that they had to prevent from happening.

All that Bertram knew, had sensed from the machine, was that a bizarre amber key lay at the heart of the mystery.

He'd been able to tell them about the key, and then very freaky things had started happening all around him in the basement. Many of the students who had been struck by the strange lightning, and had gone unconscious, began to move. And to change.

The five teenagers in his vicinity began making sounds quite unlike any ever uttered by human beings, bodies actually _shifting_ and warping like something out of the Animorphs books. That was Bertram's cue to get out of sight as quickly as possible.

He'd failed to get a good enough look at any of them to know exactly what they had become-or rather, what his machine had turned them into. He'd only seen a few glimpses of dark feathers, toothy beaks, and hooked claws.

But Bertram certainly did know that they were stalking around the basement, bumping into things, inspecting things, communicating in a language that seemed a lot more complex than simple animal vocalizations.

Curious about their weird new environment? Looking sharp for anything that might be a danger down in this confined space? Or coolly searching him out? He didn't want to find out.

 _If I could just get to the keyboard again!_ Bertram thought desperately as he gripped the folding chair tighter.

But the terrible, feathered creatures casting those frightening shadows and making those inhuman noises stood between him and his goal.

Suddenly, Bertram gave a breathy gasp. The five transformed teenagers rounded the corner where he'd been hiding. Apparently as startled as he was, they stopped to stare at him briefly, cocking their heads.

Now he saw them clearly. Four and a half feet tall, they were about three-quarters the size of a man, and covered in gray and bronze feathers that shone iridescent in the light and were spotted with blue-black. They looked like a cross between a ground hornbill and a Deinonychus, with great patches of naked, saggy, denim blue skin surrounding each vulture eye and on the cheeks. They had tails, but they were relatively short, less than two feet long and tan in color.

Their skulls were far larger for their size than that of any bird or dinosaur he'd ever seen though, domed at the back to accommodate a brain that had to be at least as big as a baboon's. And their four-fingered hands, bearing retractable claws on each digit and covered in tiny emerald green scales, had opposable thumbs! These dinosaurs, these creatures, were intelligent and could use tools!

"Wait!" Bertram pleaded as they stalked forward.

He saw slavering, opening mouths that were part beak, part monitor lizard jaws, and intense copper eyes like those of the golden eagles in the mountains outside town.

"Listen to me! I need to get past you to the machine, I know you all don't want to be here, this can be undone, I swear I can figure it out and make things right!"

But his accosters weren't having any of it.

With hoarse croaks that might have been laughter, the five feathered creatures who'd once been junior high school students lunged at Bertram. All he could do was pick up the collapsed folding chair and swing it at them with all his might in response.


	18. Chapter 18

**Bob**

 _Texas, 112 million years ago_

(Look out!) Mr. London yelled as he bolted with a wheezing snort of alarm.

Out of the sky, a dark blue shadow rapidly fell, seeming to blot out the sun. Robert London aimed right for the nearest of his four fellow Hypsilophodon. Lowering his head, he knocked the small, plant-eating, lizard-looking feathered dinosaur out of the way as the vast tree trunk of a foot, flexed at the wrist, settled into the ferns.

Bob looked up slowly, gaze following the huge, scaly leg to a vast shoulder, twenty-two feet above the ground, and a dark green, wrinkled under torso. Then there was the sauropod's neck. Angling almost at a 45 degree angle, like a giraffe's, the giant neck, banded with hyacinth purple and forest green, seemed to pierce the clouds.

He couldn't help but hum the ending music from the "Time of The Titans" episode of the fantastic Walking With Dinosaurs miniseries before whispering in awe, (Sauroposeidon.)

He mentally reviewed what he knew about it from the literature. Only scientifically described the year before from four neck vertebrae so huge they'd first been thought to be petrified wood, this brachiosaurid was the tallest dinosaur known from the fossil record. And an astounding portion of its hundred foot length was simply _neck_.

Droning croaks of impatience came from all around. Bob, jolted out of his awed reverie, turned to see the group of meat-eating, parrot-like Microvenators. They'd fanned out, and were standing on the outer edges of the clearing.

The predators had them surrounded. The only thing which had prevented their attack was their fear of the massive sauropod that was ambling through the clearing, providing a temporary respite for the prey.

 _Which includes me_ , Mr. London shuddered. After years as a junior high school science teacher, he knew that in every ecosystem, past or present, there were always some species, like rabbits or grasshoppers, which just seemed headed for trouble right from the start. From the moment they first drew breath, somebody or something was always trying to make lunch out of them.

He cocked his head, and regarded the creatures who wanted to do that.

The Microvenators were small predators, not all that much bigger than his seven foot long, two and a half foot tall Hypsilophodon body. But these dinosaurs had much longer arms-arms ending in three-clawed hands like talons! They had long, S-shaped necks, and heads that somewhat resembled a parrot's, eyes blazing with eagerness and hunger.

The Sauroposeidon began to take another step, and Bob tried not to panic. The moment the sauropod left this clearing, the Microvenators would go for them.

Then Bob realized something else. He wasn't just any prey. He was _thinking_ prey.

Moving quickly, he snatched a shattered branch from the ground and leapt high, jabbing it at the base of the single, blunt thumb claw on the Sauroposeidon's rising forefoot! He connected, and fell back, branch still clutched in his little hands like a sword.

A rumbling, bassoon cry of shock and then anger came from above, and the giant's leg pounded down into the clearing again before kicking forward, sending a sheet of sand and dirt and debris twenty feet out in front of it.

The ground trembled, and Bob was bowled over into the dirt, along with the other four Hypsys and the yowling Microvenators.

He'd gotten the bull's attention, all right-and he'd gotten him mad.

 _All righty then._

Just as two of the Microvenators charged into the clearing, the Sauroposeidon began, with surprising agility, to turn to the left. He moved in a wide circle, his huge dark blue feet smashing bushes and saplings, crashing down around the Hypsys and their hunters, swinging his copper-banded tail about.

(Come on and follow me, get moving!) Bob commanded, his voice coming out as chittering squeals. (It's just like playing Twister!)

He was agitated, but excited too. Since he'd found himself in this prehistoric world, he'd mostly been in the role of observer, not a participant, being the dutiful data-gathering academic like Wu was. Spending all that time on the outside looking in had kept his emotions and inner nature bottled up.

 _No longer!_

He zigzagged like a deer between the pillars of flexing legs, guiding the other Hypsys right where to go. With each strike of the regal sauropod's feet, the ground quivered. The Microvenators retreated with squawking, croaking cries, unwilling to risk being made into gory pancakes.

They jumped and scrambled into the woods. But then they did an about-face.

Why couldn't they just leave for good?

And then, desperate or bold, one large male, gray eyes blazing, came racing at them, yellow beak cracking open. Bob snatched up another branch as the predator reached him, hands flicking out. With a lunge of his own, Bob jammed the butt end right in the theropod's mouth!

The surprised predator stumbled back, clawing at the branch, beaky mouth forced open. Bob briefly saw that, protruding from his upper palate were two weird, flattened triangular teeth, each about the size of a sparrow. For holding and puncturing small, struggling prey? To crack eggs with? To slash or get a better grip on larger game?

Whatever their purpose, they were stuck and caught in the wood at an uncomfortable looking angle. Shaking his head, the Microvenator ran back to his friends, who cocked and bobbed their parrot heads, apparently bemused by what had happened to him and his attempts to dislodge the branch.

The Sauroposeidon had calmed down, no longer stomping his feet or moving in earthshaking turns. It certainly seemed that the immense herbivore was about to move on.

The Microvenators sensed this too, and their stares became sharper, save for the one still rubbing his head against the ground, trying to claw the branch out of his teeth.

It was time to get his butt out of here. He saw the great back foot rise, with its three curved, banana-shaped claws, and a daring idea came to him. He leapt, landed on the trio of blunt claws, leapt again, and managed to wrap his little arms and legs around the sauropod's ankle. The bull groaned in surprise, and lightly flicked his back leg as Bob held on tighter, but then ignored him.

He was going airborne!

Bob cocked his head and looked down at the other four Hypsys, their spinal crests erect in terror and eyes wide, searching for any avenue of escape as the ring of Microvenators started to contract around them. The Hypsys were a little smaller than his own body. A bit younger too. _Like my students_ , Robert London thought in sympathy.

That's when he knew he just couldn't bring himself to leave them behind to be slaughtered.

(Jump on!) Bob shouted, sending a psychic command of what he wanted them to do into their heads. (You can do it!)

The other four Hypsy cocks flinched, then stared up, confusion and fear in their dark red eagle eyes and postures. Clutching the mammoth leg, Bob was lifted higher, staring down helplessly. In just a moment or two, they'd miss their chance! He sent one last psychic goad.

Then the closest of the hypsys leapt up and caught a ride beside him. Two others ran for another back foot and jumped onto it. The last, using a fallen log for height advantage, sprung up into the air and seized the sauropod's tail. They all weighed so little that Bob was sure they hardly even registered with the giant dinosaur.

The Microvenators weren't happy, swarming into the clearing behind them, rattling their beaks and croaking in frustration.

(Hah!) Bob yelled jubilantly. (Sorry we couldn't stay for a lunch date!) Then he cocked his head and saw where the sauropod's foot was heading.

(Heads down!) he yelped. (Trees!)

He embraced the Sauroposeidon's lapis blue ankle, feeling the scales against his face as he braced himself for impact. When seconds passed and nothing happened, he opened his ruby red eyes again and looked down.

The Sauroposeidon bull had lifted his foot right over the clump of saplings Bob was sure they'd crash into. The foot swung outward, making the lush greens, browns, and ambers below turn into a rushing blur. He felt the wind through his kiwi feathers and against his skin.

(Whooo-hoooo!) Bob whooped. (This is just like riding the Cyclone!)

It had been at least ten years since he'd last been to an amusement park, but he certainly knew one thing about roller coasters-no matter how high they rose, they always came down again!

His stomach lurched as the massive foot he clung to abruptly rushed towards another batch of trees, taller and somewhat thicker in diameter. Had the giant been aware of them all the time, and now finally lost patience with his hitchhikers?

(We'll have to jump for it!) Bob yelled.

The Hypsilophodon beside him squeaked in fright, and joined Bob as he did just that, both falling toward a cluster of trees. Twisting branches reached up for him like the tentacles of a vast squid, but Bob and the other hypsy, after several seconds of tumbling through cracking twigs, landed perfectly on a sturdy bough. With relief, he realized their fall had been halted.

Then the Sauroposeidon's Greek column of a leg brushed against a nearby tree. The branch Bob and his fellow hypsy were standing on shuddered like a guitar string, and he nearly slid off. He saw his new pal staring at him, ruby eyes wide as they both splayed their toes and grabbed a slightly higher branch in front of them for balance...but they both managed to hang on.

He wondered what had become of the other hypsys. He cocked his head to look past the vast drooping underbelly of the sauropod to his other front limb. It crashed down and against a tree, and the other three Hypsilophodon leapt free in the nick of time. They leapt into a tangle of leaves and branches as the enormous leg sent out more violent shock waves.

Bob waited until the Sauroposeidon bull had strolled a good hundred yards before going to the place where he'd seen the other hypsys fall. With the agility of a goat, he raced along and leapt between large branches, making a wide half-circle around the smashed crater left by the sauropod. He found the trio of Hypsilophodons standing on large branches, the feathers on their spines standing erect from fear.

(It's all over,) he reassured them. (There's nothing to be afraid of anymore.)

He bent over and began eating a fern that was growing on the branch. (You see?)

The other hypsys glanced at each other and gave slurred clucks, then glanced downward.

Bob followed their gaze, and saw the pack of Microvenators on the ground below, staring up at them intently.

(Well, isn't that just fricking _wonderful_ ,) he muttered in disgust and annoyance.

The theropods began to scratch and scrape at the trunk of the tree. They rattled their beaks and croaked direly.

Bob exchanged glances with his companions.

(We've got the height advantage over them,) he shrugged. (Why don't we see where it takes us?)

He didn't wait for any type of response. Instead, he ran along the length of the branch, and then expertly leapt to another bough jutting from a nearby tree.

The other hypsys followed bravely, while below, the Microvenators clacked their beaks and gazed up expectantly like the wolf from _The Sword in The Stone_ , trailing them on the ground.

His Hypsilophodon body was really made more for running on level ground, not leaping through branches. Still, Bob was impressed by its agility and sense of timing as he ran and leapt the short gaps from one tree to another. Sometimes he would stop and climb as high into the crown as he dared, hoping to see some feature of the terrain-a ravine or a steep hill perhaps-that he and the other hypsys could use to put their pursuers behind them. But all he could see was a great carpet of green and brown, leaves, twigs, and conifer needles.

After twenty minutes, Bob felt close to dropping from exhaustion. The Microvenators chattered excitedly below, but he came to a stop anyway, panting.

(Okay, I guess we'll just play the waiting game with you guys,) Bob sighed, running a hand through his head feathers as he began to feed on leaves.

Tense and eager, the Microvenators began to do some crazy, leaping dance. All except the one who'd gotten a branch jammed in his mouth.

He didn't caper about. He only sourly glared, blood oozing from the right side of his mouth, where a tooth had been twisted in its socket.

Getting bored, one of the female Microvenators wandered off a few yards, then began digging at a spot in the dirt with her clawed hands. She dug wildly, old conifer needles, rotting leaves, twigs and rich dirt flying behind her. Suddenly, a powder blue land crab, big as a cottontail rabbit, came streaking out of its ruined burrow.

The Microvenator grabbed it from behind with her agile hands and snatched it to her stout beak, where she bit into it from behind as well. Immediately, the crab went limp.

Noticing what she had, three other Microvenators broke off and chased her, yelping in excitement as she ran, holding the dying crab in her hands and taking a bite out of it every so often with a distinct crunch of shell, rolling the morsel briefly between her tongue and palate before swallowing. Any scraps which fell were quickly grabbed and eaten by her packmates.

The sound of her first decisive bite through the blue land crab's armor made the hypsys whine in fear as they regarded her and her fellow predators below.

Bob knew he couldn't linger here for long. He had to get back to the students and trio of characters from his favorite book who'd traveled back in time and across the barrier of another universe with him. He had to find "Ground Zero" with them and help Will Reilly stop whatever upheaval was about to occur in the time continuum.

Besides, there may have been plenty of greens up here, but there was no water.

Bob London tried to look at the problem the way he might have before he messed with the M.I.N.D. Machine and sent himself and the others back to the age of dinosaurs.

Back then, he'd been a teacher by trade, a giver of knowledge. A rational man.

But now, ever since his brush with death on the great winds, he'd felt like he was twelve years old again! And somehow, not even the present threat of these predators was enough to disperse that jubilant state of mind.

At the same time though, being twelve meant being small.

And not very strong.

Bob shook his beaked head like a chicken. He had to be logical about this. He looked at the others.

(I wish you guys understood me,) he sighed. (Maybe if we all went in different directions, the pack might pick just one of us to follow, and the others could escape.)

He was perfectly willing to be the decoy. But he was certain that as the oldest member of this all-male group, the hypsys would only follow him. He racked his brains to think of some diversion, or some way of containing the Microvenators.

Then a sound came. Like a distant thunder. Great feet crushing bushes and branches and logs. The leaves quivered and the branches shook.

Even if he hadn't seen their incredibly long necks, Bob would still have known what was coming.

(Get out of here!) Bob hollered. (More Sauroposeidons! Let's beat it!)

He scampered off and the others followed.

The Microvenators chased them beneath.

Bob didn't care. He knew that the giant sauropods were harmless, and that they were probably just either traveling or feeding their way through the area, slaves to an eternal obsession with eating. But they were still huge animals, and he wanted them at arm's length if at all possible, lest an accident occur. Besides, who was to say one of the sauropods might not just decide to engulf one of them for a handy protein supplement?

So they ran through the boughs as the footfalls grew louder, great boughs cracking and breaking in their wake as the long-necks mooed and grumbled. They leapt from one tree limb to another, the ground a shadowy blur below them.

Bob was operating on instinct, feeling the width and strength of a certain branch, sensing the ones he should avoid, the ones that would break beneath him and send him down into the hands of the predators.

The trees were becoming more open now, the gaps getting wider. He had to leap with all his strength to clear the gaps-this hypsy was no monkey, unfortunately-and he was concerned that the bachelors might not be able to keep up.

They were slightly smaller. Like students in a way. But they were also desperate and determined, and none fell too far behind or slipped off a branch to their doom.

Bob made his longest leap yet, covering nearly five feet, raced along a branch-

And braked to a stop, digging in his foot claws and grabbing a slim branch above him.

(Hold on!) he yelled, making a sudden turn. Then he saw the other hypsys charging forward, heads down. He glanced over and saw that the gap between their tree and the next was at least ten feet. Below, he could see two huskily built Tenontosaurus bulls staring up at him in wonder with their crystal blue sheep eyes, fern and palmetto fronds still sticking out of their beaked mouths. They'd never seen hypsys fleeing through the canopy at full tilt before!

There was no way they could make that leap.

And the crackling and thunder produced by the approaching Sauroposeidon herd was rapidly growing louder.

( _Look out guys_!) he squealed.

The four hypsy bachelors came to a stop just in time.

Bob crouched and glanced around, hoping to find any sign of vines.

No luck.

Then, from his left, a massive shape swept into view, banded neck reaching for the sky.

Bob could only clutch the branch beneath him as a huge Sauroposeidon cow, the leader of a breeding herd three dozen strong, came cruising through the forest.

Stopping at the gingko tree he was cowering in, she turned her long, almost triangular banded neck and slightly lowered her surprisingly broad head right in Bob's direction. He smelt a wet, musky, horse odor as the giant opened her mouth to reveal a battery of sharp, pencil-shaped tent pegs of teeth. Long strands of thick saliva, like honey in its consistency, hung from her lower jaw.

She bit down on a branch several feet above Bob's head and yanked, her teeth acting like a cookie cutter to chop loose twigs and leaves and even small branches, which she then swallowed whole. She leaned in again.

Branches crackled and snapped. As the Sauroposeidon matriarch pulled backward a second time, the entire crown of the tree actually bent slightly in her direction.

When she released to swallow, the tree sprung back into place, and Bob was sent flying from his perch!

He wailed as the branch sprung back and he lost his grip, his stomach lurching as he flew into space. Suddenly, the earth was rushing up to slap him.

He hit the ground on his right side with a terrific impact, and pain flared hotly in his back and right shoulder. He rolled several times into a little depression, and then sprung to his feet. Stomach churning and feathers on end, he turned to face the browsing giantess.

The adults were behaving themselves, it seemed, and since their leader had stopped to eat, were now doing the same as well, ambling a little distance away here and there to crop conifer needles and gingko leaves.

But there weren't just adults in this herd. There were at least a dozen younger Sauroposeidon at the center as well, each the size of an Asian elephant cow!

Bob's heart went into his throat as two of the younger long-necks looked at him, the pupils of their eyes dilating as they lowered their heads slightly. Then two more did the same.

He'd seen that look in Runt's eyes before. These young sauropods were full of energy and wanted to play.

Trouble was, in the body Bob was in, playful behavior from dinosaurs the size of elephants could be very hazardous to one's health indeed. All four young Sauroposeidon emitted humming groans. Then they charged!

Bob saw the other hypsys bolting toward him from various directions. He wheeled, and raced away from the quartet of eager young sauropods.

In seconds, they were again playing an awful game of Twister, the rowdy young long-necks giving deep base roars and trying to kick the hypsys, all five leaping and running while frantically trying to avoid said kicks or the places where one huge foot or another might land.

Bob zigzagged through the understory, close to exhaustion. Shards of golden light sometimes appeared right next to him or from above, proclaiming the sudden destruction of a tree fern or conifer sapling.

And then, the game was over.

Bob heard the young Sauroposeidon turn tail and trot back in the direction of their herd, plowing through plants with a sound like a huge bowl of Rice Krispies. He lay in a clump of ferns where he'd just tripped, covered by their arching fronds. He heard more movement then, produced by smaller creatures.

He slipped out from under the fern fronds and stood up into a great shaft of sunlight. The bright light dazzled him, and for a couple tense moments, he couldn't tell if the shadowy forms coming toward him were Microvenators or the other hypsys.

Then he heard chittering and clucking, and knew it was just his friends.

Whoa, wait! His _friends?_ They were just dinosaurs! _When_ had he begun to think of them that way?

He did a quick scan for the Microvenators, but he neither saw nor smelt any sign of them.

 _So, what to do next?_ he thought.

Bob tried to connect with his internal "homing beacon," the instinctive, subconscious pull that usually told him if he was heading toward or away from Ground Zero. It had faded now. But he remembered that when he'd been near the lake, he'd felt its pull, where the tornado had dumped him.

But how was he going to get back there without running into the Microvenators again? Or getting pounded on by those juvenile delinquent sauropods?

For a few brief moments, Bob thought he saw other large dinosaurs moving in the distance. His pals? One of them _did_ seem like an Astrodon…

He ran in their direction and the other hypsys followed.

After a few minutes, they reached an area dotted with hills and cycads. Bob turned to the other hypsys and affectionately groomed the closest cock's shoulder feathers for a few seconds.

(Well, I got you four this far. You're all safe now,) he told them. (You can go back to your lives.)

The hypsys flinched, then stared at him blankly, heads cocked.

Then, a pair of shapes appeared on the horizon, cresting a small rise as their dark eyes swept the terrain. Bob gave a nervous, soft slurred click, and led the others into a thicket of flowering bushes at the base of the hill. They could probably outrun the deadly duo in this more open terrain, no problem, but he much preferred not having to run at all if they could.

More Microvenators. Or members of the same pack.

He watched as the two oviraptorids stood tall and carefully scanned the area, smelling their musty odor on the breeze. One had a taller and more colorful crest than the other. A male.

As the male Microvenator looked around, he suddenly stopped, lowering his parrot head and staring intently at something that was in Bob's general direction, but also slightly off to the left with his pale gray eyes.

Bob felt the feathers on his spine slowly stand up as the male Microvenator then went into a careful stalk, placing one foot in front of the other as the female watched his progress. Following the theropod's gaze, he saw that he was focused on a clump of palmettos just fifty yards away, evidently having spied something that was resting or sleeping in their shade.

Expertly, the Microvenator crept closer. Then, at a distance of fifteen yards, he charged. There was a sharp grunt, and a small dinosaur burst from the palmettos, running for its life. Only the size of a cat, it looked very like a Protoceratops, except it had a leaner and more graceful build. He'd never heard of this particular ceratopsian before, and wondered if he was seeing an unknown species.

Running on its longer, thin hind legs, the beaked dinosaur was colored somewhat like a green iguana, with black stippling, a dark brown crown, and purple rings on its tail. Weirdest of all, Bob saw that from the top of its tail grew large, hollow _quills_ , of all things, striped with ivory and dark red!

In seconds, the Microvenator was on the beaked dinosaur, flicking out his feathered arms and shoving it to the ground, digging his hand claws into his catch as it gave piercing squawks of terror, all limbs kicking.

The Microvenator only coolly shifted his weight and lunged forward, opening his beak and clasping the plant-eater's neck.

There was a ghastly, spine-chilling, wet crunch as he bit down, like an egg being stepped on. Neck vertebrae snapping. The limbs of the theropod's catch stiffened and jerked several times, then went limp.

For a minute or two, pale gray eyes glaring, the Microvenator kept his beak locked on his victim's neck as the female trotted forward and began to eat, slicing away meat with her snapping turtle mouth.

But then a pair of pterosaurs, about the size of crows, showed up, and began to hopefully hover around the pair. Irritated by their presence, the Microvenator picked up the carcass and trotted back over the hill, presumably to find a sheltered spot where he could eat his kill in peace.

Bob exhaled.

(Okay,) he said softly. (Just maybe we're actually safe for now.)

He slipped out of cover to feed and head back toward the lake, the other cocks following. As they walked, he took notice of the way that two of them would flank him on each side, although hanging back a little, while the other two followed behind with their graceful step.

He'd seen this before. But where?

Then it came to him. The hallways of Wetherford Junior High. This was exactly the way Will's "posse" behaved!

Bob turned and stared at the other dinosaurs in shock. From beneath their glowering brows, they seemed to look back at him with the same respect and admiration that Will's crew always had in their eyes.

Robert London just couldn't believe it.

For the first time in his life, _he_ was the cool guy!

* * *

 **Mr. London has an entourage now, it looks like. He was also correct that the species of dinosaur the male Microvenator snatched in this chapter was an unknown species. Well, it was in 2000. Last year however, a new species of primitive horned dinosaur from this general place and time period was scientifically described for the first time, and given the name Aquilops. And so I gave it a cameo here.**

 **Again, please leave at least a short review after reading!**


	19. Chapter 19

**For all those readers who've been waiting for the "big reveal," in this fic, get ready to watch Nedry's feet get held to the fire...**

* * *

 **Muldoon.**

It was already a tight fit in the low cave as Muldoon stared out through the wide entrance, but thanks to his Sauropelta body's awkward shoulder spikes, their dagger sharp points brushing the roof, he couldn't get his front half as tightly wedged in as he'd hoped. Hopefully, it would be just enough to keep him from being sucked out into the twister.

(Here it comes,) Wu said sickly. (God, I hope we don't get sucked out into that.)

(Just take a deep breath and brace yourself.)

He heard the tornado's awful howl, and debris suddenly whipped by like bullets, branches and splintered wood and dirt and rocks. Muldoon knew the children, Nedry, and London were all out there right now, and he desperately hoped they'd all found good, decent places where they could keep their heads down and weren't too unduly exposed-especially Patience and Zane with their huge bodies. It made him feel terrible, even rather selfish that he and Wu had found good shelter in these handy caves while the others had to fend for themselves in the open, and he was sure the geneticist felt the same way. But the fact that they were too small to safely hold anyone else couldn't be helped.

And then, a few hundred yards from the cave entrance, the deadly funnel was passing, roaring and buzzing like a swarm of furious bees. Muldoon splayed his hippo legs as even at this distance, the suction fiercely tugged at him like a giant vacuum, gravel and grit pelting his hide as he clenched his armored upper eyelids shut for protection. To his horror, he felt and heard his armored back scraping against the roof. The twister's winds were pulling him out!

(Ah!) Wu suddenly cried sharply. Had a piece of debris hit him?

And suddenly, the savage force slackened. The churned up debris stopped bombarding him. It was over.

But now, for the rest of their band, it was just beginning.

(Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,) Nedry chanted.

(I'll be good I'll be good I'll be good…) Zane squealed.

(Hang in there Patience!) Wu shouted encouragingly, desperately.

Then Muldoon suddenly heard Zane shout (Yow!) in evident pain. What had just happened? Had Patience grabbed him with her taloned hands to keep from being swept away, sinking her claws into his flesh? Or had he just taken a nasty hit from a broken branch, a boulder, something like that?

Despite what his instincts were demanding, Muldoon reminded himself that he needed to stay put until the tornado had moved well away first before coming out to see if Zane had just suffered any serious harm.

(Did you hear him scream?!) Wu asked in agitation. (Jesus, if he just got a leg smashed by a boulder or something, or worse impaled by a bran-)

(I wouldn't worry. It was probably just Patience grabbing a hold of him for purchase,) Muldoon assured him. (Her claws aren't exactly kid glov-)

Another cry cut him off, not from Zane, but from the idiot science teacher who'd got them all into this mess, Mr. London, wiry with animal terror and fading rapidly away.

( _Heelllllppp mmeeeeee!)_

Patience roared in shock, her voice drowning out even that of the now fading twister. Then a despairing (NO! Mr. London, please no!)

It was too much for Henry to stand. (I'm coming Patience!) Muldoon heard him call out, and he then heard pieces of stone clacking and shifting as Wu backed his Iguanodon body out of the fissure and then began to run in Patience's direction.

Muldoon relaxed his muscles and did the same, barreling out from the cave in the startlingly fast trot of a charging hippo (a gait and a sight he'd experienced firsthand at a rather shorter distance than he'd have liked on several occasions as a hunting and tourist guide in the bush.)

He was greeted by the sight of Zane sliding his neck out from underneath the root system of a huge redwood along with Runt, both absolutely covered with filth as they backed away and got to their feet, shaking their great frames.

Equally filthy was Patience, great scaly feet pounding as she desperately ran in the direction of the receding tornado.

(No!) she shouted in despair again, and even a bit of rage as Muldoon realized what had happened.

London had just been whisked away by the tornado, like Dorothy and Toto in The Wizard of Oz. Oh Jesus jumping bloody Christ, this was bad.

As Patience thundered away-Lord, could her body move at a clip when it wanted to!-Muldoon then caught sight of Nedry leaping out from a hole in a huge hollow log nearby, and then streaking toward them. Harriet popped her head out and hesitated for several seconds before emerging as well and following her mate.

(What's going on?) Nedry panted. (Is everyone okay? Is the key still safe? Good Lord Henry, your tail, it's bleeding!) the programmer exclaimed, noting a two-foot long gash midway down the geneticist's thick tail, a little more than skin deep and slowly dripping blood.

Curving his tail slightly to the right, Wu shifted his head slightly to glance back better at the wound. (So it is,) he commented. (A piece of the shale around that cave must've cut me while flying around. I'll live though,) he said dismissively. (But where's Mr. London?!)

(The tornado,) Zane replied helplessly. (The tornado snatched him out of Patience's arms, and now he's gone!)

(Oh Jeez. That's a real problem,) Nedry droned, body slumping.

(I figured as much already,) Muldoon sighed. (And of the key?)

(I saw it in her fingers when she stood up,) Zane replied, flicking his head in the direction of the running acro, now half a mile away. (And it didn't look damaged.)

(Mr. London!) she wailed again.

They all decided as one to catch up with her, shifting into high gear, the torn ferns and bushes dragging against Muldoon's pebbled hide and spikes as he ran.

After a few more desperate strides, seeming to finally realize the futility and impossibility of her pursuit, Patience slowed, then came to a stop. She panted for a few moments, and then began to roar. She said no words, just gave several drawn-out, ululating roars as she stared helplessly at the twister, becoming ropy and lopsided at least twelve miles away, then breaking up like a pillar of smoke. A call for any sort of help? A lament to the man upstairs? Or maybe just a helpless final cry of frustration and failure?

Her body visibly sagged in despondency.

Wu was the first one to reach her. She startled, then sadly glanced at him, softly saying, (He's gone Henry. He trusted me to keep him safe, and I failed him.)

(Don't say that Patience,) Wu replied, rearing up to stroke her flank with a mitten forefoot. (You had a difficult enough time just keeping yourself and the key protected during that ordeal.)

(The key is safe, isn't it?) Nedry said nervously, cocking his slim little head to look up at her grappling-hook hands.

(Yeah,) she sighed miserably, holding it out. (Maybe you should've been taking care of this instead in that log Nedry. I could kick myself for being so stupid now!) she growled. (And now Mr. London's gone, probably dead, because I thought I could juggle more balls in the air then I could handle.)

(It's a shame,) Muldoon put forth as he craned his neck up to meet her downcast gaze, (but you made the best snap decision you could Patience. No one blames you for this at all.)

(Trouble is, I do,) she said as she began to listlessly walk.

(Yeah, sometimes shit just happens,) Nedry agreed. (And hell, if anyone screwed up and is to blame here, it's me! I mean for Christ's sake, there was enough room in that log for Bob to fit inside three times over! If I'd actually stopped to freaking _think_ for a minute and had him join me and Harriet inside, he'd still be safe and with us right-)

(Forget about the log!) Wu cut in. (I should've had him join me in that little cave! Maybe he could've clung to my neck like a monkey, or I could've wedged him between one of my legs and the wall. But no, I selfishly could only think of number one, and now he's paid the price for my decision to put him outside into harm's way,) he growled bitterly.

(Look here,) Muldoon sighed, getting their attention. (At this point, it doesn't matter who is or who isn't to blame for Mr. London being whisked away,) he said pragmatically. (We were all in something of a tizzy, dealing with the situation and how and where we were going to shelter ourselves from the tornado as best we could.)

(Still doesn't change the fact that I let Mr. London down,) Patience groaned.

(It's not your fault,) Zane told her. (You tried your best.)

(Right,) Wu agreed. (Bad things just happen sometimes, that we have no control over.)

(Do you think he's dead?) Patience asked thinly as she gave Wu a forlorn, strained glance.

(I sure hope not,) Zane shuddered.

(I don't know,) Wu said simply, shrugging his great shoulders. (It's impossible to say what his fate was.)

(One thing going for him though is that his body is small and light,) Muldoon added. (That means the chance of something hitting him would be relatively low.) At least, he hoped so.

(And besides,) Zane commented reassuringly, (something tells me that if London was dead, we'd have sensed it already, like a sudden mental emptiness in our minds or something.)

(How do you figure?) Wu asked skeptically.

(Well, just think about it,) Zane said simply. (We already have the psychic ability to telepathically talk with each other, and to generate powerful, lifelike illusions. Sensing if one of us had kicked the bucket-or maybe even a normal dinosaur like Runt here-would be easy as pie compared to that. Let's hope we never find out if that's true though,) he added grimly, looking away.

(That makes a sort of sense I suppose,) Wu agreed thoughtfully. (And right now, I'm certainly not getting any impression that London is dead.)

(Neither am I,) Muldoon said, (although gut feelings can be a rather tenuous thing to go on. And let's not forget that he could still be badly hurt,) he added.

That galvanized Patience. (What if he is?) she asked sharply. (That's it, we've got to go look for him.)

(We have no idea where the tornado took him though,) Zane pointed out.

(Yeah,) Nedry agreed. (It'd be like looking for a needle in a haystack.)

(No kidding,) Muldoon grunted.

(Nedry's right,) Wu said. (I hate saying this, but we have to just continue on and hope he'll catch up to us later.)

(I guess that's all we can do,) Patience sighed in resignation.

They all cleaned themselves of grit and debris as best they could, Wu licking the bleeding cut on his tail to keep the area at least somewhat sterile and clean. As they groomed, the clouds that had been shrouding the sky in shades of gray ever since their arrival, and the rain which had been falling more or less constantly in varying degrees of force, finally, refreshingly parted and stopped, sliding away to reveal brilliant turquoise sky and dazzling golden sunlight that shone down and swept across the landscape, making the drops of rain shine like jewels on the leaves of the ferns and cycads and conifer needles with refracted light. It was a gorgeous sight and sensation, one that couldn't help but lift Muldoon's spirits, despite the fact that Mr. London was now MIA.

And as their strange caravan moved on once more in the growing pull of Ground Zero, a magnificent double rainbow materialized in the sky, the colorful icing on the cake.

The sight moved Nedry and Zane to spontaneously start singing "The Rainbow Connection," as Runt and Harriet drew close to them, staring with fascination and some confusion at their mate and older brother before excitedly beginning to caper about to the music, Runt swinging his tail and head about, trotting away from Zane for a few dozen yards, then running back with that elephantine running walk, sometimes even briefly rearing up to stomp the ground with his front feet like a horse. Harriet ran and leapt about, sometimes even running rings around Runt in what was almost like a dance, cheeping in merriment.

Even Wu, normally so stolid and reserved, couldn't help but start softly humming along. All in all, everyone seemed to be enjoying the appearance of the sun and as relieved at having survived the tornado's fury as much as Muldoon himself was.

Only Patience remained in a downcast mood, head held even lower than normal as she flanked them, lightly kicking the odd stone.

* * *

 **Patience.**

Fourteen year old Patience McCray strode across a broad plain, littered with cycads and small ferns, with scattered conifers and palms dotting the landscape. Rocky outcrops protruded here and there from the earth. The warm breeze caressed the muscle covered ridge along her spine and blew through her quills. Her foot claws clicked against stones, and she lightly worked her long jaws, the slicing blades that were her teeth sliding against each other.

Not very long ago, she'd been a star player for the girls' basketball team at Wetherford High in southeastern Montana. Now she was in the Early Cretaceous near the Texas-Oklahoma border, inhabiting the body of a subadult female Acrocanthosaurus, a Carcharodontosaurus-looking thirty-two foot long juggernaut of a meat eater who paced, shoulders slumped, tail slightly lowered, head hanging, kicking at "little" stones as she went.

At her right was Zane, Astrodon neck stretching into the sky. Wu was walking on all fours forty feet behind Zane and at his right.

(Don't beat yourself up over it,) the head geneticist for Jurassic Park told Patience. (You tried.)

(Yeah,) Patience sighed miserably. (I know.)

She'd heard either this or remorseful claims of responsibility a dozen times from Wu or Nedry or Zane, even since the tornado had swept away the science teacher. It wasn't making her feel better.

Without Mr. London, they didn't have much hope of figuring out the mystery Will would be facing at Ground Zero. No hope of correcting the future or getting back home, since they needed everyone to be present.

 _No hope, period._

As if reading her thoughts, Nedry nervously said, (I sure hope Bob is still able to walk just fine wherever he is, and that he hooks up with us before the moment of truth comes at Ground Zero, because without him we are so screwed.)

(I'm sure he's trying to get there as fast as he possibly can,) Muldoon replied. (And whether he shows up in time or not, well, we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it.)

Suddenly, a particularly strong gust of wind sprung up. Runt stopped so suddenly he nearly fell over, a forefoot still raised, and Harriet's body jerked, her dark eyes widening.

Almost as faintly as the footsteps of a mouse walking across a kitchen floor, a human voice rose on the wind, one that Patience wasn't quite sure was real.

( _Whooo-hooo!_ ) it jubilantly exclaimed. ( _This is just like riding the Cyclone!_ )

(Did you hear that?) Wu said in amazement, eyes widening under the little purple-red, saw toothed crescents of granular skin that grew above each socket.

(I sure did!) Nedry said gleefully as he jumped onto a boulder and stood tall.

(Mr. London?) Patience called hopefully. (Mr. London!)

(Bob, can you hear us?!) Wu shouted as he rose on his hind feet. (We're over this way!) As Patience watched, to help drive the message home, Wu sealed his Iguanodon nostrils and then inflated the orange skin around them to form a pair of bizarre bladders, producing an equally crazy, resonating sound.

WHUNK-A-CHUNK!

The air was then let out slowly, making an indescribably weird buzzing, vibrating nasal cry, like the sound of a sheep's bleat slowed down and played with on a synthesizer. Or maybe a cross between a distant chainsaw and a big man who'd had too much to drink saying "Wwwoooowww."

Everyone stopped short and stared at Wu's freaky display in astonishment as he did it a second time.

WHUNK-A-CHUNK!

Then the buzzing "Wwwoooowwww" bleat again.

(What the hell sort of song and dance number is _that_ Henry?) Zane asked in shock, bending his head down in wonder.

(It's the way this Iguanodon calls for a mate,) Wu explained. (Since it's loud and carries a long way, I figured Mr. London might be able to hear it even if he's too far away to pick up our telepathy. Well don't just stand there and stare at me like you're in a trance people!) he suddenly commanded. (Keep trying to make yourselves heard.)

(London!) Muldoon shouted. (Can you hear us?)

WHUNK-A-CHUNK!

Wwwoooooowwww!

Then the breeze died down as suddenly as it had sprung up.

(Hey!) Zane trumpeted, literally. (Mr. L buddy, come back dude, we're reading you loud and clear!)

(We're waiting for yuh!) Nedry added.

WHUNK-A-CHUNK!

Wwwoooowww!

But the voice didn't return. No response.

(Okay then!) Patience said, brimming with excitement and hope. (You guys obviously all heard that too.)

(Sure did,) Muldoon nodded.

(That's definitely Mr. London,) Wu said with satisfaction. (And he's clearly just fine if he can be in such high spirits.)

(I wonder what he was doing that was so fun.) Zane asked, craning his incredibly long neck over his shoulder to look back in the direction of the sound.

(Who knows?) Patience yawned. (Maybe he's jumping out of a tree into the water or something, I dunno. Now we just have to go find him and…)

Her voice trailed off as she realized the odds.

Zane turned back in the direction the tornado had gone before dying, plants crunching under his scaly feet.

(That thing was changing direction all over the place like a rabbit being chased by dogs. We could search for a week and never find him.)

(Again, you might as well try to find a needle in a haystack,) Nedry solemnly concurred as he nodded.

The unexpected happiness and hope that had rushed through Patience blinked out. (I know.)

Her gaze scanned the wet plain before them. The sun had finally come out, and with a vengeance, casting a fiery glow. Until now, they'd experienced nothing but rain and clouds in this prehistoric world. And other than the rare cumulus cloud or isolated tree or copse of trees, there wasn't much shade to be had at the moment. Soon, the hot sun would be scorching.

And if they didn't continue on, they would never reach Will in time.

(Well, at least we now know that London survived and is in good shape,) Muldoon said reflectively. (And hypsys are fast buggers when they want to be, so he'll have no problem covering ground. He'll have to deal with any predators he meets on his own though, unfortunately.)

(You think he'll be able to catch up with us?) Patience asked in worry. (And that he'll be able to stay safe until he does?)

(As long as he looks sharp and trusts both the instincts and judgment of his hypsy body, I'm thinking he's got a pretty sporting chance,) Muldoon replied.

(And besides, this is a science teacher we're talking about,) Wu added. (He knows this time-or era-and what he's doing.)

(Cool. Then time to get going.)

(Still, we'd better leave a "Kilroy was here" message in case he happens to come this way,) Wu said, turning to look around.

Spying a large cypress eighty feet away, the geneticist strode over to it and thrust his thumb spikes into the bark as everyone waited, standing erect as he did. After rubbing his cheeks and chin up and down the resulting furrows, Wu then used the thumb-spike on his right paw to gouge a crude H W into the bark for good measure.

(There,) he said in satisfaction as he stepped back and regarded his handiwork. (Now that's a message London will _definitely_ take note of if he passes by here.)

(Heh, reminds me of the mysterious _Croatan_ the people from the Lost Colony carved into that one tree trunk,) Nedry commented.

They walked on in silence, Muldoon and Wu feeding their way along, taking a few bites of leaves and fronds from a fern or cycad or bush with their turtle beaks before swallowing and turning away.

Runt sometimes stopped for a quick bite too, but mostly grunted, snorted, and bluff charged Patience or Wu- then veering off and tromping around them at the last second, shaking his head and flicking his banded tail, as if laughing to himself.

Now that the rain had stopped at long last, spiders, lizards, cockroaches, dragonflies, beetles and other insects and small creatures were emerging from their shelters to look for food and bask in the sun's heat. This was a great thing for Harriet, who excitedly darted about underfoot like a chipmunk, snapping up any lizards or bugs flushed out by the feet of her companions.

Although he clearly found it humiliating and revolting, Nedry conceded to the demands of his own troodontid body and did the same, swallowing his pride as he did the same to any unlucky lizards or roaches he was able to snatch with his free right hand (in the other he clutched the amber key, to give Patience a break) or mouth.

For once, Patience didn't mind Runt's antics or glance coldly at Nedry. She was infused with hope and contentment again.

Back home, she had a reputation for being very independent and able to take care of herself. She'd had little choice. She'd been abandoned by a barely remembered mother and father in a department store when she was three, her first foster mother had been killed by leukemia when she was just eight, her current foster parents were apathetic as hell, seemingly caring more about their two dogs than they did about her, their teenage cash cow, and every single person she'd come to know well since then had ended up abandoning or betraying her.

 _People go away,_ she thought. _But maybe sometimes they come back._

 _Yeah, maybe._

(So, feel like more girly-girl lessons?) Zane asked.

The goose like quills stippling her nape and upper torso rose, and she clenched her fangs. She was, and always had been, an unapologetic tomboy who enjoyed climbing trees, being one of the guys at parties, and kicking butt when required.

(I'm going to have to vote nay.)

(That reminds me of a joke,) Nedry interjected. (Why would nothing ever get done if a governing body was composed of horses?) he asked. Before anyone could answer, he exclaimed, (Because they'd always vote "Neigh" on every measure!) guffawing at the punchline.

(That was pretty good!) Zane chuckled approvingly. (Neigh, nay! I'll have to use that one in the future,) he grinned. (Anyway,) he coaxed as he returned his attention to Patience, (don't be so hasty. Don't you still want to fire a shot across the bow of the S.S. Monique?)

(Who's Monique, if I may ask?) Wu inquired curiously.

Even as she mulled Zane's words over, Patience glanced back at Wu as she replied, (She's the captain of the girls' high school basketball team back home.)

(Go Rattlers!) Zane interjected.

Patience ignored him as she went on, (Part of it is because she's a fairly good player, but an even bigger reason is that she's one of the top ten most popular girls in school.)

(Politics in the school halls,) Muldoon commented sagely. (We start playing the great game quite early indeed, that's for sure.)

(True that,) Patience grunted dryly. (Now, because Monique is an arrogant, major girly-girl who thinks she's ssoooo much better than me and I'm not, she and her crew look down on me and generally do their best to make my school day difficult, feel like I'm one of the Okies from Fanokee. A slovenly hick, in other words.)

(Sorry you have to put up with that,) Wu said sympathetically. (Kids can truly be so cruel.)

(Pfft, it's okay,) Patience said dismissively. (I try not to let it get to me, and I know there's lots of people at school who are also able to see Monique for the two-faced little harpy that she really is. Anyway, Zane's girly-girl training-and your advice too Henry-are all to help prepare me for an elaborate plan to basically be like Cinderella at the royal ball and make Monique zip her sneering mouth once and for all when I get back.)

(Ahh, so your interest in learning how to be more feminine wasn't part of a desire to develop a part of your personality further after all,) Wu said knowingly. (You want to strike back instead, make a lasting impression on this Monique.)

(Not that I blame you,) he added as Patience nodded. (If you think the rivalries in high school are bad, I can assure you that they're _nothing_ compared to how competitive and determined and plain crafty you have to be to make it through graduate school, to draft up a good thesis and get your Ph.D., then make your mark in your chosen field.)

(I don't doubt it.)

Patience then broke off to think about the stunt again. According to the plan, she was supposed to feminize her image, glam herself up, and then arrive at a huge house party on the arm of Will Reilly, totally shocking and amazing the most popular, high-ranking members of Wetherford's student body. The stunt was supposed to benefit Will, too. After his surprise defeat in the election for class president, Will needed a big shot in the arm to maintain his reputation of being, well, a big shot, get his creds up again.

(Anyway, no girly lessons right now, or even advice,) Patience said firmly, surprising even herself. (Because of my dallying, we've got a lot of ground to cover before nightfall.)

(Now there's some good time management skills on your part,) Muldoon said approvingly.

(Okay,) Zane said. (That's pretty reasonable.)

And it was, even if it wasn't entirely the real reason she'd declined Zane's offer.

The truth of it was, after coming to know Wu better and meeting her dinosaur body's parents, Patience no longer felt quite so interested in revenge.

Her time with Wu and the Acrocanth clan had given her something she'd never had before.

A sense of family and togetherness. And belonging.

And there was one special male Acrocanthosaurus, about her body's age, a noble, magnificent creature she thought of as the Green Knight. Despite Wu's raised eyebrows about the matter, this Acro made her feel…well, an emotion she'd also never known before, either.

 _But that's over now_ , she firmly told herself.

She wasn't about to share all this with anyone, not even Zane. After all, they weren't buddies. They were just five people stuck with each other on this extended Walking With Dinosaurs/The Time Machine/Invasion of the Bodysnatchers/Jurassic Park ride. She inwardly giggled at just how true the last bit ironically was, and made a mental note to reveal what she and Zane knew to all three of them, in detail, when they stopped for the night.

 _And who needs all that useless girly-girl stuff anyway? Makeup and perfume and fashion and mirrors and lacy bras and heels and other feminine, prissy frills. Waste of time and money, all to please a bunch of superficial, shallow guys._

As they walked along, Patience became dimly aware that now Wu was uncharacteristically starting to brood, staying silent and even a little grim as the caravan progressed, shooting sidelong glances sometimes at Nedry, who was hitchhiking now on Muldoon's bone-mailed back, sitting like a rajah on elephant back as he took in the scenery. She could tell that now that all the excitement had died down, he was obviously taking the chance to mull over what she'd told him on the ridge, trying to come to terms, wondering what part Nedry had to play as the straw that would break the camel's back.

They walked along for perhaps twenty minutes, Wu seeming to get more and more agitated. Sometimes he made a grumble, a snort, or that eerie popcorn popping sound.

And then, suddenly, he came to a halt, saying gruffly, (All right, that's it. I can't stand it anymore. I need to know, once and for all.)

(Can't stand what?) Muldoon asked in confusion looking back and up at the Iggy.

(Wu,) Zane urged, (not now. We've got a good deal of distance to cover before we can settle down for a chat.)

(Nope, I don't care,) Wu said simply. Turning his head suddenly, he glared at Nedry from his right eye, saying sharply, (Dennis, get off of Muldoon and come over here. Now.)

Nedry stood and blinked in surprise, cocking his head.

(Wow, what's your beef all of a sudden Henry?) he said in amazement. (Last time I checked, I didn't do anything wrong, so why the sudden attitude?)

(Get off Muldoon and come over here,) Wu growled, grinding his teeth.

(Whoa, okay!) Nedry cried as he held up his taloned hands in placation. (I don't know why you're acting so crazy, but dude, calm down science boy!)

(Henry?) Muldoon said in surprise as Nedry obediently jumped from his back. (Why, pray tell, are you acting like this? Dennis has done nothing wrong, been on his best behavior since we first laid eyes on him in the control room. So what in hell has gotten into you to be questioning him so forcefully?)

(No, he _hasn't_ done anything wrong,) Wu coolly conceded as the troodontid warily came up to the Iguanodon bull, stopping ten yards away with feathers raised in tension. (Not _yet_ , at least,) he added pointedly.

(What in bloody hell are you talking about?) Muldoon shot back. (You can't just arbitrarily accuse a man of wrongdoing before the fact, not without evidence of planning.)

(Yeah,) Nedry nodded. (I mean, this is total crazy talk! Henry, I think you've been out in the sun way too long fella. You need to find a nice tree and lay-)

(Actually, in this case he can,) Patience sighed. (Accuse him, I mean.)

(And so it begins,) Zane said unhappily.

(What begins?) Nedry snapped suddenly, looking from Wu to them.

(Getting some answers,) Wu said simply as he began to circle Nedry thoughtfully, like the classic interrogator. (And this little parade isn't going anywhere until I get honest, complete answers about what _really_ happens to the park in the book universe we're from-and what role you play in bringing it all about, _Dennis._ )

His voice came out like a snake's hiss.

It made Patience blink in surprise. And cringe.

* * *

 **The crazy display Wu performs with his Dakotadon body's nasal bladders and the sound they make is inspired by the wonderfully weird courtship displays of male sage grouse, while the nasal, buzzing drone was inspired by the mating calls of male calfbirds, also known as capuchin birds. They gather in groups to attract females in the rainforest, and then inflate a great patch of skin on their chests to produce an indescribably weird sound. You can see footage of this astonishing display if you watch the "Finding Partners" episode of The Life Of Birds on YouTube. And like I said, the courtship displays of dinosaurs had to be at _least_ as bizarre as those of their modern relatives.**

 **Either next chapter or the one after that is going to be Nedry's hour of reckoning...**

 **As always, reviews really rule!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Will**

Far away from Patience, Zane, and the three members of the Jurassic Park staff, in a maze of underground caverns, William Reilly was trapped. And fighting for his life-or at least for the life of the raptor he now inhabited, a male Deinonychus to be precise.

Will jumped back and to the left as another Deinonychus, which he'd just dubbed Hook, flew at him like a cat, copper eyes blazing. Like his own body, Hook's was covered in vaned feathers, with large patches of amber.

Hook growled like a big dog and snapped at Will, trying to bite him as he raised his one good leg and slashed with his remaining sickle claw like a fighting eagle.

Then his wounded leg, unable to support Hook's weight anymore, gave out from under him, and the Deinonychus fell to the cave floor with a glassy shriek of agony. He panted for a few seconds, then got up again, wings and tail tilting and flapping for balance as he then clumsily scrambled toward the underground chamber's _other_ inhabitants.

Tink was a female Tenontosaurus that Will had come to know, and she had developed a tentative relationship with him. And then there were Balin and Dwalin. While Will had no idea exactly what type of dinosaurs they were, they were two males of some swift running, dog-sized, beak-faced type of plant eater that resembled Hypsilophodon and were both crippled by the cave in that had trapped them and Tink here.

All four of them had been trapped together in these underground tunnels. Despite their twitchy, nervous nature, Balin and Dwalin had warmed to Will remarkably quickly. And even though she was a plant eater, and the favorite prey of her hated enemies, Deinonychus, it seemed that now even Tink had started to trust Will as well.

But not anymore.

Not since Hook had arrived, tumbling and leaping down from the gap way up in the cavern's high ceiling.

Now Tink, Balin, and Dwalin were in a total panic. And Will understood why.

First of all, now they had _two_ raptors with them. Double trouble, in other words. Also, Hook was _total_ raptor all the time. This dinosaur didn't display the respect or indecision that Will did, never spoke to them in a fascinating head-voice or did cool stuff like make torches. He only communicated bloodlust, the TEAR-STAB-BITE-KILL-DEVOUR of predators out for blood and meat.

Will also knew why Tink had moved her horse-sized body to block the only other gap leading outside of the chamber. That floor-level gap led to a maze of tunnels-one of which ended up leading to an even larger chamber where the rest of her herd and other herbivorous dinos had been trapped.

Then there was another tunnel, a closer one, which led to what Will thought of as the "cockroach pit." It was full of large cockroaches and small mammals.

But Tink was taking no chances that Hook would stop at the roach pit and not move on to her herd. It was quite obvious that she would let him get to her family only one way.

Over her dead body. Standing tall, she gave a deep, drawn-out bellow as she locked eyes with Hook and lowered her head, daring him to attack.

Balin and Dwalin caromed about like flies in a jar, mouths open and just trying to stay as far away from both raptors as they could. Will was worried that they'd bash their delicate bodies to pieces, or even pass out from the stress and panic. He knew there was even a possibility that the fear might cause them to drop dead from cardiac arrest.

Knowing he had to stop this quickly, Will leapt onto Hook's back.

"Ghirpp!" Hook yelped in response, falling to the floor on his chest, wings flapping.

But Will felt the lithe muscles continue to work underneath him as the crippled raptor growled, and then slowly crawled on.

Will growled himself, and bit at the raised crest of feathers on the back of the other raptor's neck. He brought his right arm-wing around to try to pin Hook, but the larger male Deinonychus reared up and flung him off.

Regaining his balance, Will hissed in irritation and jumped on Hook once more. This time, he pounced from the side. Hook screeched, struggled, and kicked out furiously with his remaining sickle claw, trying to pierce his opponent's flesh. But the bad-tempered raptor was belly down, able to do little more than flail his long, stiff tail about, flap his black-plumed wings, and make a fuss. He couldn't get up or into a position to strike a blow on Will.

 _This is crazy,_ Will thought. _What am I supposed to do, hold onto him like this forever?_

He had to do something decisive, make a move, a show of strength that Hook would respect. Something which would make the other raptor straighten up, get him under control, then _keep_ him that way.

The flickering yellow light from Will's torch cast exotic, nightmarish and terrifying shadows across the chamber walls.

Long before Hook had dropped into the chamber, Will had figured out how to make a torch out of the materials around him.

When Hook had shown up, Will had been so startled, he'd dropped the torch. Now the firelight cast the black forms on the walls of two grappling, reptilian dark angels with toothed jaws, claws, and feathered arms, inhuman in every way. And he was one of them.

The torch flared and hissed and sparked, causing the shadows to broaden, lengthen, then withdraw.

 _The torch! That's it!_

Will gave Hook a savage kick to the chest with the sole of his right foot, then jumped off the raptor. He raced to the torch, picked it up, and spun.

Hook was nearly on Dwalin and Tink!

With a single bounding leap, Will was in front of the crippled raptor, lowering his right wing-arm to just barely brush the tip of the torch against Hook's foot, hoping the feathers wouldn't catch.

"LLEEEOOOOWWW!"

Hook snapped his jaws and spun away, rolling on his side as his crocodile eyes dilated with fear and pain. He rose on his intact leg, holding out his arms and using his tail as a brace against the wall behind him. Leaning against the wall, he then struggled to bring his twisted leg around, head lowered and teeth bared as he hissed and made staccato snaps at the air separating him from Will and the torch.

Will smelt the odor of singed feathers in the air. Hook had clearly learned a healthy respect for the flames.

Although he knew it freaked the other raptors out big time, Will still risked talking anyway, saying (I need you to listen to me dude,) desperate to try anything to reach the raptor. (Whatever you might be thinking-)

Hook growled, vertical pupils contracting as he bluff-charged, spooking Will so bad he nearly dropped the torch. Hook then switched focus and shoved off from the wall, trying to get some height advantage from a small boulder he was standing on, trying to spring into a great leap. But the wounded raptor fell short of his target.

The Tenontosaurus cow groaned in fury and surged forward, a green-blue flash of hairlike feathers and muscle, kicking the confused, slashing, crumpled raptor like a football. Hook was lifted off the ground by the force of it as Dwalin cowered near her. His body snapped backward and Hook fell hard onto his back, hissing and spitting and panting all at once, his trembling, flicking sickle claw raised in a defensive threat.

Will could now scent the other raptor's deep fear and desperation.

The sight of the glinting claw, and the sound of Hook's deep hisses, the clacking of his teeth, made Tink lose her nerve, and she shied back.

As Balin darted out of the way, Will moved into position between them. But this time, he had to wave the torch both at Hook _and_ Tink, refereeing their conflict.

He gazed at the contracted pupils, the glaring hatred in Tink's pale blue eyes, the way her beak was bared. It wasn't just for Hook. Raptors had hunted and stalked her herd many times before. He could now see old scars from past attacks on her flanks and long tail. She'd probably also lost at least a few of her babies to raptor attacks in the past as well, he suspected. They were a constant menace, one that must've driven them to hiding in these mountains. Then a huge rock slide had sealed them in, along with other types of plant eating dinosaurs.

All except Tink, Balin, and Dwalin were in a vast underground cave where there was water. But the herd couldn't live off water alone forever. Death by starvation loomed for Tink and her companions.

(Come on, both of you,) Will pleaded, breathing hard. (It doesn't have to be like this.)

Deep down, he wondered if that was true. Could he make a difference? Could he somehow make this meat-eater and this plant-eater, these natural and eternal enemies, view each other in a different light, one of tolerance if not friendship?

He'd seen and read about amazing relationships between animals in his own time that normally would attack and try to kill each other. Dogs and deer. Cats and squirrels. Hawks and chickens. Foxes and dogs. Raccoons and coyotes. Trouble was, in most cases the animals either had been raised together from birth and thought of each other as family, or were given plenty of food by their humans, so there was no need to turn on their companions for nourishment.

But Tink and Hook had most certainly _not_ been raised together. And Will understood just how deeply, wildly hungry Hook was.

His dad, Douglas, good old ambitious "Briefcase Man," often said, _Don't wait for things to change. Change them yourself._

That was easy for him to say. But how could Will make that happen? And _quickly_?

The flames were keeping the wounded raptor and the hulking Tenontosaurus apart, their spinal crests of feathers sticking straight up. But what would happen when the torch went out?

Will looked at Hook and growled in frustration. ( _You're_ the big problem here. I was getting along pretty good with her and those two until  you showed up.)

Hook made a shuffling retreat until he was sitting with his back against the wall, holding up his hurt leg in an imitation of the quivering Balin, peeping and yelping directly across from the raptor. Will couldn't exactly tell if Hook's own foot was broken or just sprained. But the dilated pupils, fluffed out feathers, and shallow panting told him of the pain the other Deinonychus was suffering.

Hook hissed and clacked his jaws. He yelped and bit the air. His rigid tail slapped the side of the cave. His penetrating gaze flicked among all three herbivores in the cavern, as if he was a diner at a buffet table contemplating the choices.

But he made no attempt to rise.

Without thinking, Will gave a low growl and raised his left foot, displaying the sickle claw as he fanned out his arms. Hook shut up and froze. He stared at Will nervously, lowering his head.

Then he uttered a yowl of frustration and anguish.

Something stirred deep within Will's raptor instincts. He had a good idea of what Hook was thinking.

 _Dude, please just let me fucking eat! We're the same here! Predators. Raptors. We even come from the same pack. We shouldn't be battling. Why won't you let me just do what comes naturally?_

Although he was ashamed and embarrassed to admit it, the thought had crossed Will's mind too.

He advanced on Hook and like an ostrich, kicked out with one of his sickle claws. The other raptor squealed and withdrew.

Then, like a person caught in a lie, he forlornly stared at Will. Hook's hunger and his pain and his need for self-preservation all seemed to be battling within him.

It was the opening that Will needed.

(All right,) he said, sighing. (We're scramming.)

He turned towards Tink. With Dwalin trying to hide behind her massive flank, the Tenontosaurus cow was still boldly guarding the gateway to the vast maze of tunnels and caverns beyond.

(I'm sorry,) he whispered.

Will chucked the torch at Tinkerbell. With a surprised snort and clack of her beak, the Tenontosaurus darted out of the way of the fiery projectile. Before the torch had even hit the wall where Tink had been standing, Dwalin, his eyes wide, automatically plunged into the entrance, and Will too, surged forward, using his left arm to grip Hook's lithe shoulders. He yanked the other raptor to his feet and used the backs of his taloned hands to shove him towards the tunnel. Then he wheeled and boldly charged Tink, screaming and biting at her long flailing tail and back feet, driving her further away from the opening.

She bellowed and came swooping back at him. He missed a swipe from her hoof-like hand claws by inches, leaping away just in time.

(Move, move, move!) Will desperately shouted. He punctuated his yelps and yells with snaps from his jaws and jabs from his claws, expecting at any moment to feel Tink's beak clamping down on his tail and dragging him out to be trampled.

Fortunately, Hook, despite his injured foot, didn't dawdle. Unfortunately, thanks to his panicked dash for any form of safety, Dwalin was now in the tunnel too, trapped between them and the chamber, Will realized in sudden horror.

The smell of fresh blood. The sight and sound of the plant-eater's jerky, unnatural gait. The smell of Dwalin's terror, and the rich odors coming from the roach pit. It was all too much for the ravenous Hook.

He rushed ahead like a dog after a rabbit, flinging himself forward into the darkness.

(Wait, wait!) Will yelled, trying both to stop the attack and to warn both dinos of the drop up ahead. But Hook's hunger and Dwalin's panic had taken command over them, outweighing all other considerations.

Will could almost feel it!

HUNGRY-HUNGRY-HUNGRY

By the dim flickering of his torch at the mouth of the tunnel behind them, Will could only watch helplessly as Dwalin ran right off the ledge into the air. Almost like Wile E. Coyote, the small plant eater hung there for a moment or two, then plunged into the darkness. Right behind was Hook, tail lashing for balance as the raptor made a clumsy leap and landed onto the falling Dwalin in midair as he too, dropped out of sight.

Will listened with baited breath. A hard thump. A sharp grunt. A wrenching, awful crunch and a pained squeal. Then silence. And then the sounds of flesh being torn, ripped and devoured. It didn't sound good for poor Dwalin.

Heart sinking, Will walked forward and looked over the edge. In the dim light, he could just see Hook standing on Dwalin's back like an eagle on a jackrabbit or sage grouse it'd just caught, muzzle already smeared with blood as the raptor tore free and wolfed down bloody chunks of lung tissue and other organ meat, plumed arms spread over the body.

The other dinosaur's caramel-colored eyes were already glassy, glazing over in death. It wasn't hard to tell that Hook hadn't been the one to actually kill Dwalin. The awful angle formed by his neck showed that the graceful, delicate little plant eater's neck had been broken on impact, killing him instantly.

 _Poor little guy,_ Will thought sadly, shaking his head, feeling like he'd failed Dwalin somehow _. I'll miss you little buddy. At least he's not in pain or scared any longer though,_ he comforted himself. _And you didn't suffer while going out either._

He sighed, and sat down with his feet hanging over the edge, watching Hook eat. It was all Will could do to resist the temptation to join him.

 _Well, at least Hook didn't hurt himself even worse,_ Will thought. _Just too damned bad Dwalin had to break his_ _ **neck**_ _to break his_ _ **fall**_ _though._

He didn't want to see any harm come to Hook, or Tink, or Balin, or anybody else.

 _But yet…_

(I wonder what Big Guy would say or think if he could see you right now,) Will murmured contemplatively.

He thought of all that had happened since he was plunked into this Deinonychus body. The trials he'd put himself through to gain the approval of Big Guy, the pack leader. And in the end, he'd won the alpha male's respect when he'd just stopped striving so damn hard.

Below, Hook eased up on his raw meat pig-out. He cocked his blood-shampooed head and gazed up at Will with an expression in his copper eyes that might have been gratitude, or just friendly feeling.

He gave a thin, purring yelp before looking back down at Dwalin's torn carcass, then back up at Will. He got the hint.

 _We could share. Should share. It could be just like you wanted it to be. We could be equals now. Partners._

(How'd you even get down here, anyway?) Will suddenly blurted out. (Were you just curious? Did you get a whiff of Tink and the boys when you shoved _me_ down the rabbit hole? Or did your pals up there turn on you and decide to shove _you_ down into the netherworld too?)

Hook just cocked his toothy head and gave a baffled croak, a blank, confused stare in his copper eyes before he went back to his fresh meal.

Will thought of his human life in turn-of-the-millennium Montana, and the one thing that had always been so important to him: being important, popular, liked.

Just like Hook.

Will was very aware that if Hook managed to get out of here…And if he found a way to lead the raptor pack to the Tenontosaurus herd…

Well, there was no questioning that Big Guy would be ultra-impressed. Hook's place in the pack would be high, even with his injury.

 _And where does that leave_ _ **me**_ _?_ Will thought uneasily. _If I end up trapped here for the rest of my life, what am I going to do? How will I cope?_

Will was too aware that he might not succeed at accomplishing what Bertram had told him to do. The others might not show up in time. They might not show up at all! Even if everyone _did_ arrive in a timely fashion, they still might not be able to prevent whatever was going to happen here at Ground Zero tomorrow.

 _Then I guess I'll have to consider doing exactly what Hook intended to do. Be ambitious. I'll have to consider how to secure my place in the pack. For the sake of my own survival._

Hook raised his blood painted head again, swallowing a huge chunk of Dwalin's heart as he glanced at Will and gave another purring yelp. It was evident what his message was.

But right now, Will had little appetite. He'd join Hook at his meal in a bit. Soon.

For the moment though, he couldn't do it. Not only did Will find the idea of eating Dwalin's flesh to be highly disturbing and repulsive, but the thoughts and potential future that he was wrestling with made his stomach turn.

Sometime tomorrow, he would need to make a choice.

And it wouldn't be an easy one.

* * *

 **Sooo sorry to kill Dwalin off like that guys, but deinonychus have to eat too.**

 **Next chapter _will_ see Nedry forced to tell of his betrayal. Now I just have to plan it out!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here we are everyone. The chapter where the truth about Nedry's intended duplicity and the ensuing disaster at Jurassic Park all comes out. Prepare for hell to break loose.**

* * *

 **Henry.**

(Bring what about?) Nedry replied. He gave a disbelieving laugh as Wu stared at him from his right eye. (I mean, this is crazy. Muldoon, will you just listen to Henry here?)

(I am, and I frankly have no idea what to make of it,) the game warden replied.

(Well, that makes _two_ of us,) Nedry griped. (So why won't you screwballs just back off?) he challenged, glancing at Wu, then at Patience. (I have no idea exactly what the hell both of you were doing when you were off getting this amber key back...but I'll tell both of you right now, cooking up a plot to slander me really isn't cool!)

(And what's this about "what _really_ happens to the park" that you just said, Henry?) Muldoon said in bafflement.

(Patience and Zane have read the book we're all written about in,) Wu replied, jerking his head meaningfully at the two larger dinosaurs. (I guess we'd better hear it from them.)

(Yeah, a _book,_ ) Nedry grunted scornfully.

(You mean that both of you actually knew more then you were telling?) Muldoon asked them as he looked up at the duo. (Or that you weren't being honest with us, in other words?)

The acro and the sauropod both shared a pained, uncomfortable look for a few seconds. Then Zane's huge shoulders slumped.

(Yeah,) he confessed. (We did. So does Mr. London. We're sorry.)

Patience nodded slowly. (I already told Wu here that the park ends up collapsing in the novel, and the dinosaurs escape.)

(They escape!) Muldoon said in shock as a disbelieving chill swept through Wu. (Are you bloody serious?! Ah, Christ in Heaven.)

(Repeat that again,) Wu said, with a dark skepticism, tilting his long head.

(They escape,) Zane said again.

(But-but that's impossible.) Wu declared flatly, refusing to accept it. (It just doesn't make sense! We have a complex system of both high-voltage electric fences and physical barriers that have proven extremely effective at keeping the animals in containment.)

(And the dinosaurs have already been abundantly "conditioned," let's just say, to avoid the fences like they were a rabid dog,) Muldoon added.

(Don't listen to them Henry,) Nedry flippantly assured him. (They're just trying to screw with your heads, freak you out.)

(And what would Patience or I possibly stand to gain by doing that?) Zane replied, shaking his head in denial and a little disbelief.

(Hey, don't you start deflecting your guilt onto us!) Patience growled accusingly.

(My guilt?) Nerdy replied, blinking and cocking his slim head. (Why would I ever do a thing like that?) he laughed. (There's nothing for me to feel guilty about!)

(How about turning off the park's security systems so you can steal embryos for BioSyn? You feel guilty about _that_ at all, Nedry?) Zane said, lowering his head in what seemed like accusation.

For a few long moments, Wu and Muldoon were both struck speechless, heads slowly turning to look hard at Nedry, who'd also frozen in place.

(Is that true, Mr. Nedry?) Henry found himself saying quietly, his conical tree-trunk tail beginning to slowly lash. (Are you a-a traitor to us? To InGen?)

(Would you do that Dennis?) Muldoon said gravely. (Is that accusation Zane just made as fanciful as it seems…or is it all too close to the truth?)

(Of course not!) Nedry denied in shock, eyes widening. (Me, turn against InGen and put other people's lives in peril like that? What sort of man do you take me for? And as for BioSyn, I've never even _heard_ of them before, much less gone over to them.)

(Bullshit,) Patience snorted. (Henry, Rob, don't listen to a word he-)

Nedry's crest of feathers sprung erect then as he wheeled, and with a piercing shriek, shouted, (No Patience! It's not bullshit! You want to know what truly _is_ bullshit?) he yelled, hissing. (Making slanderous accusations that I'm committing fraud and industrial espionage for a rival! That's called libel, Patience, and if we were back in the 20th Century right now, I would have every right to have both you and Zane prosec-)

(Hey, don't get pissed off at _us_ ,) Patience cut in, shrugging her great shoulders and yawning in a thinly veiled threat. (We're just telling the truth about what sort of character you are in both the book and the movie. And in both versions you're a traitorous little weasel!) she snapped, lowering her head to glare at him.

(I know you are, but what am I?) Nedry mocked in a sing-song voice.

(Another _Pee-Wee Herman's Big Adventure_ fan,) Zane offhandedly commented.

(Anyway, this is ridiculous,) Nedry snorted, shaking his red head. (I mean come on, I'm being accused of stealing dinosaur embryos for some rival genetics company I've never even heard of by you two based solely on what you've apparently read in a _fictional_ novel written by an alternate universe's version of Michael Crichton. Surely you guys don't seriously believe them?) he asked, cocking his head and seeming to grin hopefully as he looked at Wu, then at Muldoon.

(It is a pretty wild claim,) Muldoon admitted.

(Yeah,) Wu nodded. (Although personally, I really don't know what to think right now,) he said, flicking his thick tail.

(Henry, Rob, we're not lying or crazy,) Patience pleaded. (We know full well that an accusation like this is very serio-)

(Damn right it is,) Nedry hissed, (especially when I've risked my life to obtain this amber key,) he snapped, holding it up in the air for emphasis, (and came along to help res-)

(Dennis, calm down,) Wu cut in neutrally. (What ultimately matters is what Muldoon and I think about this accusation.)

(Anyway,) he went on, turning his attention back to the acro as he stood erect, (let's just review the facts here. The bare facts. You and Zane are claiming that Nedry is intending to commit industrial espionage against InGen-)

(Which again, I would never dream of,) Nedry interjected. (I thought we were all friends, guys,) he said in a hurt tone. (Why would you do such a thing?)

(-based solely on information from works of fiction in your world. That sounds like a pretty shaky-and to be frank, dubious-claim from where I'm standing.)

(Well, until a few days ago the idea that we'd be interacting with people from a whole different universe, or that human minds could actually be transported into the bodies of living dinosaurs sounded like a far-out, impossible idea to us, too,) Zane pointed out, (as silly as the idea that a person could turn into a bear or that woolly mammoths still walked the earth. But hey, here we are in this Saturday morning cartoon come to life,) he said, swinging his banded neck meaningfully.

Muldoon then spoke, thoughtfully.

(It's a puzzle,) he agreed. (While you both are obviously convinced of Nedry's guilt and intention to commit crimes against InGen, we have no ability to prove it one way or the other.)

(And they never will,) Nedry stridently insisted, (because I'm loyal and innocent, so there's nothing to prove! To quote Nixon, I am not a crook.)

(Talk about not recognizing the irony there,) Zane commented.

(I'm sure that's probably the case,) Muldoon replied.

(Rob, you're making a huge mistak-) Patience began.

But Muldoon cut her off.

(But,) he added, (we've only known you for a matter of days Nedry. So we-meaning Henry and I-know very little about your character, your motives, your relationships-)

(Oh, for the love of God Rob, don't tell me you're siding with _them_ in this prehistoric kangaroo court!) Nedry protested as he turned to glare at Patience and Zane.

(None of us are Dennis,) Wu replied, meeting his gaze with his right eye. (Rob and I haven't made up our minds either way just yet. Muldoon was simply saying that compared to the rest of the staff at the park, you're a closed book to us, more or less.)

(Fair enough,) Nedry grunted. (But really guys, I promise I didn't do-or intend to do-anything.)

Patience gave a drawn-out sigh. (You know Nedry, why don't you just come clean? Stop lying, because it's getting to the point where it's just not funny anymore.)

(And neither is randomly being accused by you of treason!) Nedry hissed. (And you know that I'm intending to engage in espionage how? On the basis of a sci-fi thriller novel? What a preposterous idea!) he chuckled, holding out his plumed arms.

(But there's already a lot of accurate information they've obviously gotten from it too,) Wu pointed out, deciding to play devil's advocate. (Their reaction to our names. The fact that they knew what the park was called, and that we've been cloning dinosaurs there, a year before we're scheduled to open.)

(We can tell you _way_ more true facts than just those if you're interested too,) Zane chimed in.

(Okay,) Wu replied as he turned to face the astrodon. (Then let's do a test.) After thinking for a moment, he asked, (To date, how many species of dinosaurs have I successfully cloned at Jurassic Park?)

(Fourteen,) Zane promptly said. (If you count the cearadactyls-which are actually pterosaurs, to be precise-fifteen.)

(Damn, you're good Zane,) Patience grunted in impressed surprise as she looked at him.

Wu was amazed. (That's right,) he confirmed in wonder. (I even tried to trick you by only saying dinosaurs, but you were too clever to fall for that. Well done.)

Zane's purplish brown eyes seemed to beam as he nodded.

(Yes,) Muldoon agreed. (Very well done. Now here's a question to test _you,_ Patience,) the game warden turned Sauropelta proposed as he turned his flat body to face the massive acro.

(Go ahead.)

(Of all the dinosaurs at the park, which ones do I fear and hate the most?) he said grimly.

(The velociraptors,) she said without hesitation. (Because they're so smart, vicious, hunt in packs-)

(That's plenty good,) Muldoon said, cutting her short. (You got the right answer. I don't know how your universe's version of Michael Crichton could possibly have known, but what he wrote was dead on.)

(That still doesn't mean anything when it comes to these crackpot accusations of me betraying InGen and shutting the fences down,) Nedry cut in, now starting to sound suspiciously harried and going into a half-crouching stance on his boulder. (I mean, who do you guys take me for, The Joker?!)

(Maybe not,) Wu replied, now beginning to regard the programmer with suspicion himself, (but Dennis, although neither Rob and I are entirely convinced yet that you plan to commit sabotage-well, as the saying goes, if it walks like a duck, has feathers like a duck, has webbed feet, a beak, and quacks like a duck…) He let the sentence trail off as he gave a cool, meaningful shrug of his stocky shoulders.

(This is utterly absurd,) Nedry growled, Wu noting how he was uneasily bouncing on his feet and that this particular denial was being proclaimed from shakier ground than before. (I can't believe this. But okay, even if I hypothetically _was_ planning to betray InGen and Hammond-)

(Oh, it's way more than hypothetically,) Patience muttered.

(Shut up! Just...shut up!) Nedry snapped, starting to lose his composure. (This was entertaining for a while, but now I've had more than my fill-)

(What's wrong Dennis?) Zane asked smugly. (Starting to crack at last? Feeling the walls closing in around you?)

(Oh, go jump in a gorge,) Nedry growled. (I've got nothing to crack about, you overgrown giraffe!)

(How rude.)

(Anyway,) Nedry said half-smugly, (even I _was_ intending to play Benedict Arnold, how could any of you possibly prove it for sure? Is my computer terminal here for Henry here to search through for anything that could be considered evidence? No! Can my whereabouts during, say, the past three days before taking my flight to Isla Nublar be tracked and investigated? No! Can you get your hands on somebody from this "BioSyn" outfit and interrogate them to learn if I've ever been in contact with these guys? No! So none of you can pin anything on me, even if I was planning some extinct lizard embryo heist like you two jerkasses are claiming.)

They were all silent for a few moments.

(He has a good point, you know,) Patience said reluctantly to Zane. (We can tell them what he's going to do to the power grid and about his plans as much as we want, but we don't have any actual proof to back it up.)

(Like I said, you teenage meddlers just hit a brick wall there,) Nedry grinned gleefully. (Nice try, but now it's time for you two kids to shut your faces and get back to minding your own business.)

(This is everyone's business, Nerdy,) she snarled back, glaring.

(Actually,) Wu said meditatively, (I think there _is_ a way that Patience or Zane _could_ conclusively prove whether or not Nedry is planning sabotage and theft for BioSyn.)

(Yeah, maybe if they have psychic mind-reading powers like those crackpots on _Unsolved Mysteries_!) Nedry snorted.

(And how do you know we don't?) Patience said pointedly, lowering her gigantic head. (This telepathy we're using is already a psychic power.)

Nedry seemed to become distinctly apprehensive at that point, eyes flicking between the other members of the party, at an obvious loss for words.

(Well, well,) Muldoon said softly. (Looks like this little sod just may have something to hide after all.)

(Listen, Dennis,) Wu began.

(Don't listen to them Henry,) Nedry growled as he glanced at the geneticist, breaking the awkward silence. (Don't even go there. You too, Rob.)

(Sorry Denny, but he is,) Patience replied, almost gleefully.

(Shut the hell up!) Nedry screamed in frustration. ( _Shut up_! That goes for you too, Henry!) he shouted, a desperate quality creeping into his voice.

(How are you going to make me?) Wu asked laconically, rearing up, producing the eerie popping sounds, then dropping onto his front feet again to emphasize his size before continuing on.

(Oh, I see,) Nedry said dryly. (Going to throw your superior muscle around if you have to, huh? Really classy, Doc.)

(Anyway,) Wu went on, (what would be best in this situation would be not to resort to the paranormal, but to ask him a very specific, pointed question, one with an answer that Patience and Zane would know from the book we feature in, and that he would obviously know...but it would be something which not just any member of InGen's staff, even those working at the park itself, would know.)

(Fire away whenever you think of one,) Zane said, before then proceeding to do a brief scan of the area to check on Runt, who was peaceably munching on a clump of bushy conifers seventy yards off to the left.

(All right,) Wu replied. He thought for a few moments, tail gently flicking side to side.

(This is all just such a supreme waste of time,) Nedry yawned, exposing his ivory triangles of teeth. He then pretended to inspect and groom his tail in what seemed to Wu like feigned unconcern.

(Who,) the geneticist asked, (is the head of BioSyn, and presumably, the man pulling the strings behind Nedry's impending espionage attempt?)

Zane just looked at them, blank-faced, and at a loss.

But Patience's reply was almost immediate.

(Lewis,) she said coolly. (He's working for Lewis Dodgson.)

If Wu's Iguanodon body had possessed facial muscles, his eyebrows would've gone straight up. As it was, immediate recognition coursed through him at the name, accompanied by a wave of disgusted contempt and even some fear. And he felt sick as well, even as he took a step back. Sick that Nedry was betraying Hammond and InGen. Sick that he was actually working for that thieving, maniacal rat.

Zane, with his huge, high-mounted eyes, noticed his reaction right away.

(Looks like you've heard of him too Henry,) he dryly commented.

Yes. Wu had no idea _how_ they both knew, but they did know all the same.

Nedry stared in shock at Patience, dark finch eyes wide. Then they narrowed.

Muldoon's own little straw yellow Sauropelta eyes did the opposite of the programmer's, rectangular pupils dilating. He snorted, in a gesture of what might have been either contempt or because he was impressed by Patience's knowledge.

(Son of a bitch. If that's not a telling reaction that you just had, I don't know what is,) the ranger said darkly. (You little Judas,) he growled. And Wu agreed.

(I'm not a Judas,) Nedry whined in a last-ditch attempt. (I'm just stressed and upset by all this crap I'm being unfairly and pointlessly subjected too, okay? So for the love of God, can everyone just lay off me and quit prying?) he pleaded.

Wu decided he'd had enough. And he knew better. After all, if it walked like a duck...

He was angered by the thought of Nedry's repeated denials, by the idea that he would leave others vulnerable by switching off the fences, by the idea that he would act the turncoat for BioSIN and Dodgson. Most of all, he was hot under the collar about the thought of Nedry, or anyone for that matter, stealing his team's hard-produced dinosaur embryos, something they had no right or permission to.

His Iguanodon body weighed three and a half tons, as much as a large car. But it was also amazingly fast. He knew just how fast it could move when it wanted to. And Nedry was only a dozen yards away…

Without a sound, the geneticist rocked back on his three-toed feet and charged on two legs like a quarterback, torso lowered as his splayed hind feet crushed ferns and conifer seedlings.

In a flash, he was on Nedry, who had only enough time to give a barking scream of surprise and leap off the rock before Wu caught up. Lunging forward, Wu grabbed the terrified troodontid in his horny beak and lifted him off the ground as the amber key fell into the gravel with a gentle little crunch, writhing and kicking and squealing as Harriet ran closer and tried to distract him, darting around and croaking, nipping at his ankles.

(Wu, don't!) Patience roared, surging forward.

(You idiot, put him down!) Zane trumpeted.

(Henry, don't do it, you bloody crazy fool!) Muldoon honked.

(Listen to them! Don't kill me!) Nedry squealed.

(Everyone be quiet!) Wu shouted. (And Patience, back off,) he commanded. (I'm not going to kill him, I promise.)

But Patience wasn't convinced. (Drop him,) she firmly ordered, stomping right up to the geneticist and stretching her wicked hands apart. (Right now. Or I'll shove these hand claws right through your cheeks if I even _think_ that you'll bite down.)

(Do as she says. And Patience, have I ever told you how awesome you are?) Nedry said obsequiously.

(Don't worry, I will in a second,) Wu calmly, coolly promised her. (First though,) he lightly growled, (you Nedry, are going to tell everyone the truth, once and for all, whether you like it or not.)

(And what if I don't?) Nedry replied as he panted. (You know you'll screw everyone over if you kill me.)

(Henry, you really don't want to do that,) Zane begged.

(Just drop him Wu. Right now,) Patience ordered, Wu managing to somehow stand his ground even as she glared and growled right in his face.

(Which is why I'm not going to,) he said reasonably to Nedry. (But I can still injure you. I don't think a broken arm or set of ribs, for example, will be any fun. Now tell the truth...and Patience, don't interfere. In fact, could you please pick up the key and hold it yourself? I don't trust Dennis not to go smash it out of spite after I release him.)

Hesitantly, the mammoth acrocanth backed away a few steps and crouched down, picking up the piece of amber while never taking her eyes off the quaking Nedry as he struggled in Wu's beak. Primed to strike.

(Anyway,) Wu went on as he increased the pressure slightly, (I hate to extract confessions under threat of violence, but tell me Dennis, are you planning to hack the park's computer system and steal embryos for Lewis Dodgson? Simple answer now,) he prodded, increasing the pressure a little more.

(Go to hell!) Nedry defiantly snapped.

Wu squeezed his jaws together a bit more. (How difficult do I need to make this?)

(I've never heard of the guy, I swear!)

Wu clenched his beak a bit harder, the points on its edges beginning now to pierce Nedry's flesh.

(Ahh!) the programmer yelled in fear and pain. (Okay! Okay, you win! It's true! I planned to give Hammond the Cheap Bastard the shaft by smuggling embryos through a contact to Dodgson. He'd reward me with a million and a half bucks in return. Is everyone fucking happy now!?)

(You little backstabbing bastard,) Muldoon said.

(I'd say so,) was Wu's reply as he opened his mouth and stood as high as he could before letting Nedry fall to the ground with more than a little force on impact, grinding the Iguanodon's leaf-shaped teeth in a sliding motion to display his anger. (So to speak. Interrogation's over.)

The troodont immediately zipped away from him, eyes wide, running forty feet in the opposite direction before coming to a stop, shaking and panting as Harriet followed, inspecting her mate to see if he was alright and trying to groom his besmirched feathers in a gesture of concern and reassurance.

(Jesus H. Christ,) Nedry said shakily, helplessly, breathing hard.

Then the feathers along his troodont spine went right up, and he whipped around to glare daggers at Zane and Patience as he held out his clawed tridents of hands and gave a piercing shriek of disbelieving fury that made Harriet leap seven feet into the air and give him a wild-eyed look like he was insane.

( _You!_ ) he bellowed at the acrocanth and astro. ( _HOW! How-how did you know! God damn it, how did you fucking know!_ )

(Hey, don't get pissed off at _us_ ,) Patience snapped, in more ways than one. (We're only saying what the Michael Crichton in our universe wrote about you.)

(Did it ever occur to you kids that maybe you should _still keep quiet anyway?_ That any dealings between me and BioSyn were and are **_none of your damn business?_** )

(Not when it has serious consequences-like the freaking dinosaurs _escaping!_ ) Patience shouted.

(Jesus Christ,) Muldoon muttered, shaking his scaly head.

(Well I'm sure glad they did,) Wu snapped, quivering and grinding his teeth again while pawing the ground with a forefoot like an angry bull. (And even if it's ultra-unlikely that the animals would break loose, they had a moral obligation to let Muldoon and I know what was coming.)

(Such as a lot of death,) Zane commented.

That got the geneticist's attention.

( _What_.) Wu said simply, voice infused with shock as his head swung up, left eye focusing on the astro.

Muldoon shut his armored eyelids and sighed.

(Christ have mercy. There's a lot I'm still not understanding about all this,) he said, raising a forefoot as if in thought. (I certainly know now though that Nedry has been shown to be a sneaky, backstabbing son of a bitch-)

(Who we are going to call a police launch from the mainland for the minute we get sent back home,) Wu interjected harshly.

(Thanks so much guys,) Nedry grated as he gave the two teens a look of pure, resentful fury. (I hate you! You hear me! I fucking hate you!)

(-who we evidently just dodged a major bullet from. But there's a lot more I'd like to know about this matter. For one thing, who is this BioSyn outfit and this Lewis Dodgson fellow?)

(BioSyn is a corporate rival of InGen's,) Zane supplied.

Wu nodded his beaked head. (Right. They're located in Cupertino, and are basically the black sheep of genetic engineering companies in our time Rob. As for Lewis Dodgson-he's the head "scientist" for BioSyn, if you can call him that. Not that he really deserves the title in my opinion,) he snorted contemptuously. (He's ambitious and driven, but he's also an unscrupulous opportunist who would rather basically plagiarize and steal the products of other's hard work, and then alter it just enough to make it his own special version.)

(Ah, so it's a case here of a thief working for an even bigger thief...and a lazy one at that,) replied Muldoon, glancing coolly at Nedry. (How does it feel Nedry, being a jackal who does the bidding of a hyena?)

(Better that than being a dog who takes orders from a child,) Nedry retorted.

(Are you saying that that's what we're like?) Wu snapped, forcefully snorting.

(That's exactly what all of you are like,) Nedry spat. (Ever seen that cane he walks around with, with the amber ball on its top?! I don't know about you, but it makes him look like a pimp to me. And guess what Henry, Mul _dumb_? You two, Arnold, Harding, Regis, you're all his obedient, well-behaved little _who-_ )

(How dare yo-)

(Plus, Dodgson also has a nasty temper and just doesn't give a damn about who might get hurt in the process of reaching his goals,) Zane added quickly, wisely cutting Nedry off before the subjects of his insult could explode. (Like that airborne rabies test thing in Chile.)

(Exactly,) Wu nodded gravely, growling at Nedry again. (That was extremely irresponsible of BioSyn, to say the least. And I've heard several stories about just how vicious his temper can be myself-indeed, even rumors that Lewis has either killed people that failed him or would've interfered with his plans, or had someone else do it for him under orders. I frankly wouldn't put it past him myself. So be careful what type of pimp you choose to work for Dennis,) he added with a glare.

(Pfft, Lewis is no killer,) Nedry denied. (Hot headed at times maybe, but he's not some General Woundwort type villain you know.)

(Wanna bet?) Patience said.

(Did he ever try to persuade _you_ to go over to him, if I may ask Henry?) Muldoon said, addressing Wu.

(Oh, of course,) Wu replied, remembering the half-dozen cajoling phone calls he'd received from the hawk-faced man. (But I had the moral fiber and intelligence to turn them down,) he added pointedly as he turned to give Nedry a dirty look.(So who's a whore now, Dennis?!)

(Whoa,) Patience said, blinking and gaping in shock. (Now that was a shot fired, people!)

(Oh, get off your high horse,) Nedry hissed at Wu, eyes narrowing. (I bet he just didn't offer you the right price.)

Muldoon ignored the outburst as he nodded. (Good on you Henry,) he replied in praise.

(Anyhow,) he went on, (that told me what I need to know about BioSyn and this Dodgson weasel. Now I too, want to know more about how this supposed collapse of the park comes about,) he said as he turned away from Nedry and craned his spike-edged neck up to fix Zane and Patience with his gaze. (We'll deal with you in good time Dennis, so don't get too relaxed.)

Nedry hissed and gave Muldoon an upraised clawed middle finger in reply.

(Um, we're really not sure where to start,) Zane said, shuffling in place and looking about.

(Just begin at the beginning,) Muldoon said simply, calmly. (Treat it like a chapter book, giving us one thing to review and process at a time until you two get to the end. Then stop and let us sort things out.)

(Okay, but you three aren't going to like it,) Patience sighed, looking directly at Wu.

(My future and my life are already ruined now because you two couldn't just leave well enough alone and keep your damn mouths shut,) Nedry resentfully whined. (I don't see how things for me could get any worse than this.)

Now Zane too, turned his banded neck to look directly at Wu as well. While both dinosaurs lacked the facial muscles of mammals, he still thought he could detect some intangible quality in their eyes. Sadness? Reluctance? Pity? They were certainly hesitant, and it began to bother him.

Did he really want to hear their news? After all, even if the park did suffer a failure and the dinosaurs somehow broke loose, they could still always manage to get them back under control and the system back on its feet again, right?

Unless they couldn't…

Or God forbid, if the _raptors_ somehow managed to break free… No. He wasn't even going to consider that possibility.

Screwing up his courage, he looked back at Patience and Zane, and said gently, (I think it's safe to say that we've developed a bond of friendship among each other by now. If that's true, don't be scared to just tell Muldoon and I flat-out, what you know about both our fate and that of Jurassic Park in the novel.)

(Okay,) Patience said, inhaling. (This'll knock you guys off your feet, so to speak, but here goes.)

(And keep in mind,) Zane quickly added, (now that we're telling you three all about it, the events in the novel aren't set in stone anymore. Now you have a chance to possibly change the outcome for the better in your universe! Keep that in mind if you get upset by anything we tell you.)

(Too late for me either way,) Nedry lamented, putting his head in his hands. (I'm screwed, finished. Hope you two are happy!)

(That's certainly a good perspective to consider,) Wu agreed. (Now for the bad news.)

(And it's very bad,) Zane sighed, shaking his head.

(First thing you all need to know,) Patience began, (is than even before Nedry turns off the power, an interesting fact is discovered about some of the park's supposedly all female dinosaurs…)

* * *

 **Zane**

It wasn't the easiest task for Zane to read the mostly stone-faced visages of his dino companions for signs of emotions. He'd quickly figured out that gestures and pupil movements were a better bet. But he was pretty sure that Henry Wu had been just majorly bowled over by the news that some of his lab's dinos could breed after all.

(They can't be breeding!) Wu insisted, shaking his long head. (We've controlled their development to see to that, and dosed them with X-rays for good measure.)

(And I certainly haven't come across any signs of nests out in the park,) Muldoon added.

(Well, some of them are anyway,) Zane replied.

(Life finds a way,) Patience muttered.

(But Zane,) Wu said. (They're all female. It's impossible. The idea that some of them would somehow magically turn male makes about as much sense as you or I suddenly sprouting a set of wings and being able to fly.)

(Why not?) Zane replied. (There's a bunch of kinds of tropical coral reef fish-like bluehead wrasse, for instance-where if all the members of a school are female, one will change sex to become male. I learned that from the _Trials of Life_ video series,) he explained offhandedly to Patience.

(Yes, but fish development is far different than that of dinosaurs, and-)

(It's not fish DNA that does it,) Patience cut in. (Makes some of the species able to breed, I mean.)

(Then what exactly does?) Nedry sourly asked.

(Frog DNA,) Zane replied. (The DNA from frogs is the reason that some of them can breed-like the raptors and the maiasaurs, for instance.)

(Christ,) Muldoon moaned in distress. (The damn raptors are breeding?)

(They can't,) Wu insisted to Muldoon. (And they aren't.)

( _Yes they are_ ,) Patience said sternly, whacking a tree with her tail to produce a hissing sound. (Stop thinking everything is peaches and cream Henry, because it isn't, and we're just trying to set the record straight for your own good. Don't deny the truth about what's really going on, that we're taking the time to warn you about, just because it doesn't agree with you!)

(All right,) he conceded. Very reluctantly. (Just the idea that things went-could go-that off-kilter is a huge shock to me all the same though, and I'd rather see the evidence for myself before accepting such a claim.)

(Understandable,) Zane replied. (It really is true though, sad to say, despite the fact that you tried. And even if you hadn't used frog DNA, it's entirely possible that some dinosaurs might've had the ability to produce young without a male in certain situations, and you'd still get babies. Just like some geckos and other lizards do.)

Zane noticed that Patience was looking at him in something like baffled wonder as Wu nodded. (Yes, parthenogenesis. Flowerpot snakes and whiptail lizards are well known for producing young in that manner, and it would stand to reason that some dinosaurs might've as well. As for your claim that the dinosaurs are now able to change sex and breed, it seems like a long shot to me, but I'll humor you and listen. I'm not entirely sure how the frog DNA you mentioned plays a particular role though.)

(Well, in both the book and the movie,) Zane told him, (Dr. Grant talks about how some West African frogs, when maintained in captivity in a group that's all females, some of them will become more and more male-like until they can actually mate with females.)

(Sounds almost like the bar scene in San Francisco to me,) Nedry weakly joked.

(Speaking of which, what type of frogs _did_ you use exactly in your lab to splice and fix the dinosaur DNA?) Patience asked, flicking her head to shoo away some flies. (And were they from West Africa?)

(They actually live primarily in central and east-central Africa, not really the western portion,) Wu replied, (and they're known as common reed frogs.)

(There's a fitting name for them,) Muldoon replied. (If you're ever out in the African bush during the rainy season, especially near a marsh, creek, or any other body of water, you'll hear the males calling out by the dozens, these lovely xylophone-type calls. And they come in a regular painter's palette of colors and patterns.)

(Common reed frogs!) Zane said in excitement, raising his head. (They're the ones Mr. L talked about from the West German study Patience, when he did that three-day _The Science of Jurassic Park_ series recently for science class, remember?)

(Yeah, now that you mention it, I do,) she thoughtfully nodded.

(What's this about a West German study?) Nedry asked in confusion.

(The one that showed that species of frog could change sex in an all-female group,) she said.

(I'm just curious,) Zane said as he turned back in Wu's direction, (what exactly made you and your team decide to use some animals as a source of DNA to fill in the gaps for the dinosaurs and not others?)

(It had to do with a couple reasons,) Wu told him. (A huge part of the decision had to do with how closely related that modern animal was to dinosaurs. That's why we used a lot of avian and crocodilian DNA, as well as DNA from modern lizards that are semi-bipedal, like basilisks and frilled lizards. In the case of the reed frogs, their DNA was used because scientists have studied the development of frog and toad embryos in great detail for over a century, and we now have a fairly good idea of when certain genes are switched on-or off-during the process, and how those important genes are then physically expressed.)

(Frogs are also very basal, or "primitive" tetrapods, so it made sense that given DNA's innate conservativism as a molecule-we humans share eighty-six percent of our DNA with chickens, for example-they could easily fill in for many of the genetic commands which are responsible for the development of properly functioning and essential organs that all land vertebrates require to survive, such as being able to extract sufficient amounts of oxygen through lung tissue, a liver which can filter out environmental toxins effectively, a backbone that has knit together over the spinal cord, and so on.)

(Makes sense,) Patience yawned, the sight making Zane's inner astro cower and want to run in terror.

(Of course,) Wu added, (there's also the practical aspects of obtaining and properly housing animals intended for lab use as well. Fortunately though, common reed frogs have a lot of characteristics which make them ideal in that regard: they only reach about an inch in length, are easy to obtain through the pet trade, and are easily maintained on a diet of house flies and mid-sized crickets. Several of them can also live comfortably in just an eighteen cubic inch glass enclosure with a screen top, a heat source, a few pieces of driftwood or bark, and only wet paper towels on the bottom…and perhaps most importantly of all to someone in the field of genetics, they mature and breed relatively quickly. The same can't be said for the emus, spectacled caimans, and American crocodiles whose ova we utilize for embryo development though,) he muttered.

(I thought in the book you use special fake eggs with plastic eggshells made of porous plastic or whatever,) Zane said, puzzled.

(Oh, we do,) Wu replied. (But after hundreds of millions of years of experience, we've found that nature is a lot better at this type of thing than we are, and we also insert the dinosaur embryos into unfertilized chicken or emu eggs to develop, depending on their eventual size as hatchlings. Crichton must've been incorrect on that part, I suppose.)

His sheep eyes twinkled and his beak parted slightly in what seemed like a smile. (It's really quite something, you know, to have a huge, green-blue emu egg start hatching in the incubation room-but instead of this fluffy emu chick tumbling out with tan and white stripes, out comes a baby styraco-)

(This is all really interesting to listen to,) Patience grumbled impatiently as her tail swished about, (but the point is, because of the reed frog DNA, five species of dinosaurs are able to breed now.)

Wu seemed rather freaked by the idea, from what Zane could tell. Zane thought he knew why. After all, if some of the dinosaurs could breed when they weren't supposed to, then that brought a lot of other so-called failsafe precautions into question, made the foundation just a little more shaky.

 _And now the bottom is going to drop out from under you very shortly, buddy,_ Zane thought.

(Anyhow,) Zane went on, (that's only a side issue, really, the dinosaurs being able to breed. What _really_ makes things start to suck is when Nedry here turns off the security system and the perimeter power.)

(Little bastard,) Muldoon snarled at the troodont, Sauropelta beak bared as he swung his long, tapering tail about, like an angry cat's.

(Fuck you,) Nedry defiantly spat back. (Fuck everyone here!)

(You watch your mouth Dennis,) Wu hissed, jabbing the air in his direction with a thumb spike in warning.

(Oh, I'm so sorry teacher!) Nedry mocked. (Am I going to get my mouth washed out with soap for that now?)

(Anyway,) he growled bitterly, (since you goody-goodies just had to play detective and hang me over the barrel, I might as well admit that I don't really know how that would become a problem, since the intent of my now-blown-to-pieces plan was to only have the power shut down for fifteen, maybe twenty minutes before delivering the embryos to Lew's man, then showing back up at control and fixing things.)

(That's because you never _do_ come back,) Patience replied, almost gleefully, opening her mouth in what seemed like a grin. (Instead, you get your just desserts at the claws of a Dilophosaurus. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy either,) she mocked.

Wu and Muldoon knew right away what the gruesome outcome of that would be, and flinched in horror as they glanced at both each other, then at Nedry.

(Holy Christ,) Wu said simply.

(That's a nasty end,) Muldoon agreed. (I almost feel sorry for you there, Dennis. Almost,) he amended pointedly.

(You mean-,) the flabbergasted programmer began, Zane almost seeing the gears working and grinding in his triangular skull, (I end up fucking **_dying_**?! I get _killed_ by one of these Dilopho-whatevers? And then **eaten**?)

(Oh yes,) Patience confirmed with sick enthusiasm. (In both the book and the movie, it spits venom into your eyes and blinds you, then runs up to you and rips you open so that all your guts-)

( _Oh my God!_ Can you really **_not_** tell me things like that?!) Nedry yelled in desperate horror. (That's too much information, okay? I mean Jesus, I get blinded by some poison-spitting lizard and then gutted like a fish?) he said thinly, entire body quivering as he closed his eyes and clutched himself, almost as if he was reflexively trying to protect them.

(You wanted to hear the truth,) Patience said simply.

(Not to that degree! Jesus,) Nedry said again.

(Karma sure is a harsh mistress, isn't it, Dennis?) Wu pitilessly commented.

(Oh, stuff it with the self-righteousness Henry,) Nedry hissed. (At least when Hammond pisses on me and tells me it's raining, I don't just sigh and reach for the nearest umbrella while giving him a fake sm-)

With a growl, Wu charged at Nedry again, covering ten yards in just seconds before stopping as the troodont darted out of the way. It was a warning shot.

(One more word, Dennis,) Wu coldly challenged. (I dare you. One. More. _Word_!)

(Okay, okay,) Nedry placated, panting as he held up his hands. (Calm down. You're way too tense. You'd better lay off the high-caffeine horsetails or whatever.)

(More like _you_ need to quit talking trash and being smart-mouthed,) Patience growled.

(Oh, quit acting like you're all so much better and purer than me,) Nedry hissed. (Anyway,) he went on, (nasty and upsetting as that little fact about my fate you just shared is, at least now I have a heads-up about it-like Zane here just said,) he added, glancing up briefly at him. To Zane, he seemed little bigger than a sparrow would be if he was in his human body. Very insolent, to say the least.

(But what I don't understand,) Nedry continued, confused, (is how one of these Dilopho-whatevers-)

(Dilophosaurus,) Zane helpfully corrected.

(-Dilophosaurus could possibly get to me while I'm in a Jeep and driving on one of the park roads. That makes no sense.)

(Unless you got out of it,) Muldoon said simply. (At a place close to the river.)

(Which is exactly what happens in the book,) Zane nodded.

(Hey, news flash,) Nedry said. (My itinerary was to go to the east dock and then right back to control. That route takes me nowhere near the damn river! And even I know how the system of roads on the island is laid out,) he added.

(Ahh, but that's where the fateful tropical storm comes in,) Patience said knowingly.

(Oh damn it,) Nedry groaned. (You mean even if everyone at the park was still none the wiser when I got sent back, or this crap had never happened to me, after all my careful planning, I'd have to deal with some random frigging downpour?)

(Yep,) Zane said. (And it causes you to get lost.)

Wu and Muldoon started laughing together in sick glee at the idea.

(It's not a laughing matter to me!) Nedry snapped indignantly. (And just remember Henry, I'll have fifteen of your lab's precious lizard embryos with me already, so those'll be lost forever too.)

(A small price to pay.)

(Think about it after all,) Patience said reasonably. (It's raining cats and dogs on a tropical, jungle-covered island you've never been on before, you're driving a Jeep at full throttle on roads you've seen on maps, but never actually traveled. The chances of making a wrong turn would be high under those circumstances.)

(I can definitely see why it would happen to me then in those conditions,) Nedry conceded. (But there's still no way in hell I'd be dumb enough to leave the protection of a Jeep with some killer prehistoric lizard around, much less give it a chance to spit on me-which is seriously creepy and gross to think about, for the record,) he added. (Even without the venom aspect.)

(That's because it isn't at first,) Zane replied. (Prowling around, I mean. To make a long story short, in the book you get out of the Jeep to get your bearings, walk for maybe a few dozen yards, realize you're at the river, and then hear the dilo close by. So you naturally run like hell back to the Jeep-)

(Yeah, no shit!)

(-where you find the dilo is already standing there, watching you from a respectful distance. Forty feet away, I think.)

(Sounds just like something from a bad dream,) Muldoon commented.

(Jesus in a shit heap! And then it nails me, right? From that far away?)

Zane shook his head. (Not right then. She watches you for a sec or two, then spits on your chest, twice.)

(Yuck.)

(But then,) Patience said, taking over, (in a beautifully sick irony, just as you're opening the car door, just as you're almost safe, you turn your head to look at the dilo one last time-)

(Not a smart move there Dennis,) Muldoon said.

(And the lizard puts the lights out at that point,) Nedry stated grimly with a shudder. (Permanently. All because I look back over my shoulder like a goddamn moron instead of just getting out while the getting's good,) he chided. (You're a dumbass, Dennis,) he told himself ruefully.

(Not to change the subject, but that reminds me of something my foster dad, Stan Mushnick, has told me about hunting coyotes,) Patience commented. (If a coyote sees or smells a person within shooting range-or even just sees a car start to pull onto the shoulder of the road-they'll be out of there in a flash. Quite often though, after running flat-out for several seconds, they'll stop to just quickly look back over their shoulder…and that's the end of them.)

(Run Wile E.!) Zane cried in a falsetto voice. (Don't look back!)

(Oh, from the infamous Bambi's mom scene, am I correct?) Wu replied knowingly, eyes shining with mirth as his head swung. (That part just utterly traumatized me and my siblings as children, especially my sisters. The waterworks we-)

(I'd like to think I'm a little smarter than a coyote,) Nedry grumbled petulantly. (But okay, I end up being agonizingly slaughtered. I'm guessing that means the park is now up shit creek big time without yours truly to fix things, huh?)

(Yeah,) Zane sighed, turning his head away from Wu once more to stare down at a boulder. (To say the least.)

(That's not automatically a disaster though,) Muldoon pointed out. (The dinosaurs know full well that the fences hurt when they are touched, and that they can never be trusted as benign. And it's also worth mentioning that in my experience, animals that have become acclimated to an enclosure soon come to think of it as their territory, the place where they belong and are secure, to the point where if they escape or are released, they will often later "break back in" to their former pen. Even crocodiles will do that,) he added. (I've seen it.)

Wu nodded his heavy-jowled head, like a pleased horse. (And even if the dinosaurs _hadn't_ experienced any negative conditioning from the electric fences at all, they'd still probably be effective as both physical and psychological barriers, structures they'd have no idea what to make of or how to get around. Totally beyond their experience.)

(Huh, the raptors certainly don't seem to be all that bothered by the "negative conditioning" from their electric fences,) Patience said dryly.

Wu gave Muldoon an awkward, nervous glance before lowering his head and shuffling in place.

(No, they're a strange-and worrisome-exception,) the geneticist agreed. (They must have an incredible pain tolerance, since they repeatedly charge the fences every time a person comes close. But amazingly, they never touch the same-)

(Place twice,) Zane cut in. (We know that already.)

(They're clever girls all right,) Muldoon conceded. (And brazen as hell too. Too clever to really be kept around, I'd say…) he trailed off, giving Wu a pointed look.

(You know Hammond would never possibly agree to having them put down,) Wu said as he raised his head. (Since they're his "precious animals." And frankly, after all the time and sweat my technicians and I put into them, I'm rather ambivalent about the idea of having them destroyed myself, let's just say.)

(I don't think that's a wise position to take Henry.)

(We'll find an effective way to keep them contained and safe,) Wu insisted. (We just need to talk Hammond into allowing firearms on the island-twist his arm if we have to-and letting my lab produce a more docile, manageable version of the raptors.)

(Hah! May as well try to work at producing a more docile version of a crocodile or leopard,) Muldoon snorted.

(Just hold that topic for now guys, okay?) Patience cut in.

(All right,) Muldoon agreed. (Then what goes on after that, with Nedry out of the picture and the park sabotaged?)

(Even though I know it doesn't make sense behavior-wise,) Patience informed them, (both the T. rexes somehow figure out the fence is turned off and break loose, right as Grant and the others are stopped by their pen.)

(Talk about making a bad impression on the guests,) Nedry commented dryly.

(Preposterous,) Wu said flatly. (Even with the power off, there's no way in hell that the tyrannosaurs would recognize that it was safe to approach the fences, or be able to understand that they could make a hole in the barrier and break free, because they've never experienced the concept of something being open or closed since they were hatchli-)

(Maybe so, but it happens,) Zane said simply. (The little rex busts loose first and heads into the woods under the cover of the storm. Then the big rex smashes through the fence a few minutes after, and causes all sorts of mayhem, just pounding the snot out of the Land Cruisers and tossing one like a Frisbee.)

(Jesus,) Muldoon said thinly.

Nedry laughed. (Lord help me, but that would be pretty damn cool to actually see. I mean, like in the movie version or something,) he amended.

(It's actually one of my favorite movie mayhem scenes of all time,) Zane admitted. (The roar they gave the T. rex was so freaking bad-ass, and it was hilarious when she ate the lawyer off the toilet,) he chuckled.

(Same here,) Patience added, laughing herself. (It made a big impression, let me tell you.)

(And that part where she was right in front of Grant and Lex, looking for them, and they're quivering in terror as they try to keep still…)

(My God,) Wu said in revolted horror. (The big rex…are you saying she _kills_ Gennaro? And you actually thought it was funny? What's wrong with y-)

(Don't worry,) Patience said quickly, (Gennaro only dies in the movie version. In your world, he isn't even around by that point. Neither is Ellie.)

(You mean they're already dea-)

(Oh Christ,) Muldoon said. (That didn't take long at all for the bodies to sta-)

(Wu, chill!) Zane urged. (She didn't mean it like that! They'd already both decided to go back to the lodge with Harding in his Jeep, and aren't in any danger.)

(Just as well for them, I'd say,) Nedry said grimly.

(There's an understatement,) Patience agreed. (To make a long story short, the big rex goes all Godzilla on both cars, biting Malcolm-but not killing him. Lex, Tim, and Grant all get a serious scare, and Grant has the big rex practically kick him to the moon, but they all survive pretty much okay.)

(Thank God,) Wu said in shaky relief. (Thank God at least the kids make it. Hammond would be completely devastated if either of them came to harm. I'd feel pretty awful too,) he added.

(That's a major blessing,) Muldoon agreed. (But what of Ed?)

(I was gonna ask the same thing,) Nedry said.

(The young rex gets him,) Zane said bluntly. (And it's not a pretty scene.)

(Considering what I've seen of how young lions and other adolescent big predators go about clumsily dispatching prey, I'd imagine it would be messy,) Muldoon replied gravely.

(For what it's worth,) Nedry cut in softly, (this is something I never wanted to happen to the park or anyone working there guys. You believe that much from me, don't you?) he said hopefully.

(Save your apologies and remorse for later,) Muldoon said harshly.

(Hey, Mul _dumb_ , I-)

(Go on,) Wu addressed them. (Might as well get comfortable,) he sighed, shifting his weight back and lowering himself onto his lower belly, thick tail gently swishing through the ferns.

(Well, Grant and the kids see the younger rex attack and kill Ed Regis,) Patience said, (and they have to flee deep into the actual park itself, where they try to make their way back to the safety of the lodge, while trying to steer clear of the big rex, which they have several scary run-ins with.)

(But they survive?) Wu asked tensely.

(Yeah,) Zane assured him. (Barely in some cases, but they all make it.)

(I'm relieved to hear that,) Muldoon replied gratefully.

(And me too,) Nedry added sincerely.

Wu though, was silent, only distantly nodding in agreement as he meditatively ran his left forefoot through the dirt and ferns from side to side.

(This is all an awful and regrettable outcome,) he said at length, (and I don't doubt Gennaro and the other investors wouldn't look very favorably on such events.)

(To say the least,) Nedry snorted.

(Just don't forget whose fault it is,) Wu grumbled testily. (Still, as bad as the situation would be, it still wouldn't be impossible to salvage. Between Arnold and me, we could probably figure out what exactly Nedry did to the security power, and then use that information to get it and the fences back online. In less than ten hours, I'd estimate in fact.)

(And me and the workmen would go out and fix any damaged portions of the fencing,) Muldoon added, (while Gerry with his rifle would then proceed to dart the rexes and any other dinos that had flown the coop, which would then wake up back in a secured paddock. A touchy business, to be sure, but still doable for all that.)

(Yeah,) Wu nodded thoughtfully. (We'd have some serious egg on our faces and explaining to do, but if we worked really hard on damage control and made it very clear that the incident was all due to Nedry's actions-)

(Oh, really nice guys,) Nedry spat contemptuously. (How classy, tearing down the character of a dude who's not even alive anymore to defend himself!)

(You don't have a leg to stand on,) Wu hissed.

(Yes I do. I have two of them. See? I also have my reasons.)

(Guys.) Patience growled firmly, redirecting their attention. (Just stop and listen.)

(Yes Mom,) Nedry replied sarcastically. (Geez, talk about being on a power trip, young lady. I bet that if things were reversed, there wouldn't be a peep from your m-)

Zane sighed again.

(I hate so much to do this to you guys, but it turns out that things get even worse after you get everything more or less patched up.)

(Worse?) Wu said in confusion. (How could that happen?)

Zane and Patience looked at each other again.

(Well,) Patience said at length, (it's really super-complicated, but if I remember correctly, Arnold ultimately has to turn the main power grid off to reset the system.)

(That makes sense,) Muldoon replied. (Except something tells me there's a hidden glitch to the matter.)

(To put it mildly,) Nedry said pointedly. (And yeah, that's a huge problem.)

(How do you figure?)

(That's because the system is designed so that if it's ever completely shut down,) Nedry explained, (the backup generator is the one that gets turned on, not the main one. That's because the main generator takes a serious jolt of juice to start up.)

(So…) Wu began as the awful implications sunk in, (that means that the entire park would actually be running on auxiliary power the whole time?)

Zane, Nedry, and Patience all nodded gravely.

(Oh my God!) Wu yelled in mounting horror as it all hit him. (I'm a goddamn idiot!) he loudly chastised himself. (No, Arnold would be just as much to blame too.)

(Don't call yourself an idiot Henry,) Patience said softly. (Even people who are extremely smart make mistakes sometimes. Just look no further than Mr. London.)

(You're most certainly _not_ an idiot Henry,) Muldoon agreed. (And neither is Arnold. But I don't understand, why would it be a bad thing for the park to be running on auxiliary power for any length of time?)

Nedry sighed and lowered his crimson head, prodding a stone with his right foot as he explained, (That's because backup power doesn't generate enough amps to power the electric fences, so they wouldn't be working anymore from the moment the grid was reset.)

The Sauropelta's eyes widened in shock. (Bloody hell. You mean the electric fences would be down for all that time?)

(In so many words, yes.)

(I think it takes five hours before you guys notice.)

( _Diu_ ,) Wu said softly. Zane was pretty sure he'd said something rather nasty in Cantonese.

(That means then that the velociraptors would have plenty of time to get out,) Muldoon realized as he shut his eyes. (Jesus Christ.)

(No kidding,) Nedry agreed grimly. (Even _I_ know how insanely dangerous those ninja lizards are-and know better than to ever screw with their holding pen's fences.)

(Great,) Wu said tensely, shaking his head. (Just great. Talk about shit hitting the fan.)

(Things get pretty nasty,) Zane agreed simply. (Jurassic Park basically becomes a freaking war zone at that point.)

(I'd imagine so,) Muldoon said grimly. He sighed again, ruefully shaking his head as he muttered, (I told Hammond again and again that if he wanted to keep the raptors around, then we needed high-powered rifles in each building, and an exhibit that had steel bars, a pit surrounded by concrete walls, a moat they couldn't leap over or out from.)

(Like your typical tiger or lion enclosure in a zoo,) Nedry commented.

(Essentially. But bloody stupid Hammond didn't want any harm to come to his animals, and Lord forbid any of them would ever be kept in a setting that looked "blatantly unnatural" or would be "ugly and depression inducing for them and the visitors." Had to be as evocative and natural as possible,) he snorted.

(Nor would he ever consider actually, you know, paying me a fair wage for my services,) Nedry huffed.

(Never mind the fact that none of the dinosaurs or pterosaurs at Jurassic Park are truly natural,) Wu dryly chimed in. (Not like the real things we're currently trapped in and observing.)

(Anyhow,) Muldoon said as he addressed the teens, (the vicious velociraptors proceed to break free, and no doubt we'll still be trying our best to get the power back on and things under control. I'm sure not everyone gets out of it alive.)

(Sad to say, the body count is pretty big,) Zane admitted.

(Well, we already know _I've_ gotten knocked off at this point,) Nedry commented. (Any other names to be named? I dearly hope Hammond the Cheap Bastard gets turned into-)

(Nedry!) Wu chided sharply, voice filled with shock and anger. (You disgusting _puk gaai_! I know we all have our issues with Hammond, but that was uncalled for!)

(That wasn't even remotely funny!) Patience growled.

(Dennis, try,) Muldoon commanded. (Show some decency.)

(Yeah well, I'll do that the moment Hammond displays that quality to me.)

As he spoke, Zane saw Muldoon suddenly raise his navy blue striped iguana head and glance at the sun.

(Ah, don't look now guys,) he said, (but I think this account of our potential future and the park's is one that will have to be finished on the move. We have a lot of distance still to reach Ground Zero, and time's slipping by.)

(Yeah,) Patience agreed. (No time for dallying.)

Zane looked around for Runt, and saw the younger astrodon a hundred yards off to the west. Runt had found a new friend, a large mud-brown tortoise that looked to be about sixty or seventy pounds in weight, peering intently at it as it plodded along, sometimes using one of his front feet to poke at it or tap on its shell. He was clearly getting a lot of enjoyment from this puzzling living toy tank. But when Zane gave a droning call from his nasal chambers, Runt jerked his head up and immediately jogged over to his big brother as they began to walk again.

As their group got underway once more, Wu said, (So, what happens next in this comedy of errors after the raptors break loose?)

(Well,) Zane replied, (Muldoon and Gennaro go out to kick some velociraptor ass with a grenade launcher, while Arnold goes for the maintenance shed…)

* * *

 **Wu**

Henry Wu simply couldn't believe what he was hearing from Zane and Patience as they gave him a running account of how the park, all for want of Nedry's return and failure to immediately turn the main generator back on, would have spiraled deeper and deeper into disaster and chaos.

It was ridiculous, inconceivable, a path filled with incredible coincidences that simply couldn't-no, wouldn't!-be possible or make sense. And all this from a novel? Surely at least some of these events described in it simply _had_ to be wrong, be simply embellishments by Crichton for drama.

But he had to admit that although so much of the unfolding disaster they were rattling off to him made no sense at all, defied logic, it also followed a sort of logic as well. And didn't the position they were in defy logic to a far greater degree? Then too, he trusted Zane and Patience, and they seemed quite sincere about what they were telling them.

His head was filled with all types of uncomfortable feelings. Doubt. Horror. Denial. Fear. Shock. Anger. A degree of sadness.

That was understandable, for he'd just learned from the astro and acro that the now-at-liberty raptors would kill his friend and colleague John Arnold-and before he could at least get the power back on.

Yet it had been a relief to learn that Grant and the kids would have made it to safety, and he was oddly delighted and warmed to discover that he played an unexpectedly heroic role by jumping behind the wheel of a Jeep, driving the raptors off, getting the crippled Muldoon to the relative safety of the visitor's center, and then talking Grant through the steps he needed to take to get the power back on again. Very much like what he'd already done twice to be a hero for Patience, getting help for and then participating in her rescue from the flooding swamp, and then following her into the midst of an acrocanth "camp" all to make sure she'd be safe…

Now that was an unlikely hero, folks.

The tale of collapse wasn't over yet though, and Wu and his fellow staff members now listened with baited breath and gave each other uneasy glances as Patience and Zane described how some of the raptors had them pinned down in the lodge, trying to chew through the bars over the skylight to get to them and a wounded Malcolm.

In order to give Grant the chance to get to the maintenance shed safely, Ellie had very courageously volunteered to go outside and bait the raptors that were outside the fence, getting them to chase her and then keep their attention once she'd made it inside the fence.

As they spoke of these events, it didn't escape Wu's notice how both teens were giving him increasingly awkward, even commiserating, glances. It troubled him, made an awful suspicion creep through his mind.

Once more, he decided to be blunt and get the uncomfortable subject out in the open and done with.

(So Grant finds Gennaro hiding in the truck,) Zane was saying, (and it turns out…)

Wu gave a long sigh. (You know, just say it you two,) he told them. (I die in this book/scenario, don't I?)

Both teens stopped, visibly startled.

(Yeah,) Patience said softly. (How did you know?)

An awful chill ran down Wu's Iguanodon spine as he tensed, and he felt the display quills on his nape rise at the confirmation. Right then, the world seemed to stop turning for a few seconds.

 _Jesus._

(I'm a scientist,) he said simply. (And let's just say you've been giving me a lot of non-verbal cues.)

(Jesus on his golden throne,) Muldoon said, voice both commiserating and horrified. (I'm bloody sorry, Henry.)

(Don't be,) Wu said good-naturedly. (After all, just like that man about to be put on the corpse wagon in Monty Python and The Holy Grail, "I'm not dead yet",) he chuckled as they began walking again. (I dodged a disturbingly close shave though.)

(Hilarious scene from a hilarious movie!) Zane said enthusiastically.

("I'm getting better!") Nedry quoted.

("No you're not, you'll be stone dead in a moment",) was Muldoon's deadpan reply before he laughed as well. (My dad and I both love that movie too,) he chuckled.

(I always liked the killer rabbit,) Patience added, showing her teeth in a sort of grin. ("That's the most cruel, foul-tempered rodent you ever laid eyes on!")

(At any rate, disturbing as the idea is,) Wu said as he shuddered, (how do I end up dying by raptor?) he asked querulously. (One of the velociraptors _is_ responsible, I assume.)

(Hmm, killed by one of his own creations,) Nedry mused in mocking thoughtfulness. (And on a remote island. I think Dr. Moreau might like to have a word with you there, Henry.)

Wu spun in fury.

(What I've been doing by cloning dinosaurs is nothing like Moreau's pointless experiments to make freak hybrids! How dare you compare me to him, like I'm also making hybrid carnival freaks when-)

(You sure about that?)

(Yeah, one of them is responsible,) Zane confirmed. (As for how it goes down…Patience, you tell him,) he said softly. (I can't bring myself to do it,) he said, closing his eyes and deliberately looking away.

Wu looked over at the acro questioningly.

Patience held his gaze for a moment.

Then she said calmly, (It wasn't what you deserved, but here goes. First, you have to keep in mind that there were a lot of things going on, and the raptors are divided at this juncture into two different groups, all acting like living chess pieces on a board. Two are still working on the skylight, while three are bluff-charging Ellie as she runs about on the inner side of the fence.)

A dark suspicion crept into Wu's mind. Bluff-charging Ellie again and again, even though they knew they couldn't possibly get to her, with two raptors inside the fence focused on the skylight. For the moment…

From a young age, Henry Wu had always enjoyed playing chess. But certainly not the idea of that type of chess game...one played for keeps.

(My God,) he realized. (They were setting her up for the other two, keeping her distracted even as she thought she was distracting them.)

(Exactly,) Patience nodded as they walked. (And that's just what you also realize in the novel after Harding tells you the raptors have left the skylight. You nobly-but unthinkingly-rush out to warn her, and that's when in this particular game of chess…Checkmate,) she said grimly.

(Like a leopard springing down onto an impala,) Muldoon said sickly.

(Oh my God!) Wu moaned as he came to a stop, actually feeling weak-kneed with horror and anticipated agony. He'd seen how the raptors killed the goats and turkeys that were dropped into their pen at feeding time, read about Ostrom and Bakker's gruesome speculations on just how they used that sickle claw on prey-and had no illusions about exactly how they'd use it on him. Nor would they have the grace to wait for him to shuffle off his mortal coil before eating. A nightmarish thought in every way.

In spite of the blistering tropical heat, a supreme, visceral chill passed through the geneticist as he swiveled his head to look over and down at Muldoon.

(They'd take me just like hyenas or wild dogs with a wildebeest or impala,) he said meaningfully.

Muldoon gravely nodded. (Exactly,) he replied, long tail quivering in agitation. The Sauropelta's eyes became harder then, and Muldoon's voice was thick with a sudden, terrible determination as he said decisively, (That bloody tears it. When we get sent back to the park and our own bodies, I don't care what Hammond says. After we deal with you Dennis,) he said sharply, (as soon as Hammond gets around to leaving the island again, I am going to go to the raptor pen and kill every sodding one of those psychotic bastards, consequences be damned. Kill them for Arnold and for you Henry-and if you have any sense in your head, you won't lift so much as a finger to stop me.)

(Oh, I'm not feeling like putting up any opposition against that anymore, believe me,) Wu said flatly. (In fact, I'll get some of the poisons from the lab and help you. I'm sure it should be little trouble to jury rig some of the tranquilizer darts.)

(I'd like to see that,) Zane wryly commented. (Muldoon with the grenade launcher, Wu with the poisoned darts, just smoking the raptors one by one-it'd be like something from an awesome PlayStation game!)

(I know I'd be having a lot of fun,) Muldoon admitted.

(I'm sure you would,) Patience replied. Then she gave a strange giggle. (For extra coolness points, you guys should be wearing sunglasses and black formal suits too,) she suggested with a levity Wu was currently not feeling at all.

Zane laughed. (Yeah, like Travolta and Jackson in _Pulp Fiction_! That's a super-violent movie which hasn't come out yet in your past time,) he added.

(Anyway, even though it sucked to tell you that, yeah, you don't get the nicest kind of death,) Patience said as she met Wu's gaze in what seemed like sympathy.

(Jesus,) Wu said again. He thought of his parents, his brother, his sisters. If this situation had come to pass, would they ever know what had happened to him? Or would his remains be disposed of secretly, as part of a cover-up? Would the raptors leave any remains at all?

(Hey, at least your death by dino-cringe inducing as it is-serves what could be called a heroic purpose,) Nedry said in an attempt to be comforting as he drew close to the Iguanodon. (Giving Ellie a heads-up and saving her bacon I mean. I just get pointlessly slaughtered like some dog in the street, alone and hated by everyone.)

A white-hot burst of fury arose in Wu then, and he deliberately kicked at the troodont with a back foot like a horse, nearly hitting him.

(Get the hell away from me,) he snapped, fixing Nedry with his right eye as the programmer darted away with a barking squawk. (This is all your damn fault!)

(But I haven't had the chance now to do anything!) Nedry protested. (And it's not like I was planning to get brutally killed by the Dilophosaurus, ya know! Once again, I'm not exactly happy about hearing this myself Henry! I'd never want anything like this to happen in a thousand years, believe me.)

(That doesn't matter,) Wu snapped. (I don't want you to say a word to me right now. In fact, I don't want to even see you _looking_ at me, got it?)

(Fine!) Nedry spat. (Be that way Henry, and excuse me for trying to be helpful!)

 _Pointless,_ Wu fumed as the weight of it all hit him. What right did _Nedry_ have to talk about a pointless death? Getting eviscerated and eaten alive in the prime of one's life! Dying because of some uncharacteristically rash act on his part-and wasn't that always how it went? Never being able to publish or talk about the groundbreaking procedures he and his team had carried out in the lab. No papers. No conferences. No respect and adulation from the rest of the scientific community. No books or magazine articles. No watching the throngs of visitors pour in to squeal and marvel in awe and delight at what he had done, brought their dreams to life. Leaving his parents without a son, his siblings without a brother. Now _that_ was pointless.

And all of it Nedry's fault. Or Hammond's, with his fingers-crammed-in-ears stubbornness.

But not his. Never his.

He now just went through the motions and mostly listened as Patience and Zane finished with their awful litany, like a pair of ravens croaking out messages of prophesied doom and destruction, each one another psychological bomb.

Hearing that he ended up dead was bad enough. But then there was the revelation of Hammond's own death by the procompys. While the two of them often had their differences, and John's behavior, his refusal to see reality, was often deeply frustrating, the last thing Wu would ever want would be to see his boss dead. At least there was the cold comfort that the venom of the compys acted as a soporific, so Hammond wouldn't have suffered. Unlike him.

And then the icing on the cake, something that once again, Zane didn't have the heart to tell Wu. Neither did Patience, for that matter, but she stepped up to the plate and told him anyway.

(WHAT!) Wu shouted in a combination of rage, disbelief, horror, and even heartbreak at the very concept, the apocalyptic conclusion of this dinosaur disaster.

(No, it's not true,) he fervently denied. (Please Patience, tell me what you just said they do to the island isn't true.)

(It's true,) she said reluctantly. (The Costa Rican army firebombs the place. I'm sorry Henry.)

(If it's any consolation,) Zane said, (nothing happens to the park in the movie version, and that part of the book sucks for everybody who reads it as much as I know it does for you to hear it.)

(Five years,) Wu whispered sadly as his great body shuddered. (All that time, energy, false starts, sleepless nights…and it's all heartlessly wiped off the map by some bastards in helicopters!)

He went silent then, and stared blankly at the horizon, beak soundlessly working.

(See?) Zane said sadly to Patience. (I told you he was going to take the news hard.)

(I think you broke Henry guys,) Nedry said in shock.

And the geneticist _was_ broken.

(But-) he said haltingly, (Hammond bought that island from them… They have no jurisdiction over the activities there…the dinosaurs were no threat to anyone so far out at sea…they could've just been rounded up instead of being cut down!)

(Henry, snap out of it, buddy,) Nedry urged. (The dinosaurs being destroyed is a jerk move, yeah, a tragedy, but it only happens in what **_would've_** been your future-but now you know what', s coming, and can take steps to prev-)

Wu knew academically that goddamn Nedry was right. He now had the chance to turn things around so that both he and the dinosaurs were kept alive.

But he also felt something weigh down his shoulders, and something inside crack.

Suddenly, everyone jumped back as Henry Wu, Iguanodon, came to a stop.

Facing the horizon, he threw back his long head and gave an eerie, nasal, screeching moan that resounded through the muggy air. It was a cry of emotional distress and pain, the sound of a creature in emotional suffering, a protest at the unfairness of life and of success forever deferred.

If his Iguanodon body had possessed the capacity to weep, he would've done so. Jesus, all those marvels and fruits of his labors, the lab that had produced them, napalmed and dead! It was not going to happen now, but it was also too much to bear.

Wu gave the cry again. And again.

As he began to produce the eerie moan a fourth time, he was suddenly jolted out of his sadness and anguish by the sight, then feeling, of Patience coming up alongside him and gently nuzzling his right flank.

She then spread her arms about and gingerly hugged him, telling the geneticist, (Hey, don't worry Dr. Wu. It's okay now. It's okay dude. I know that really sucked to hear, but you'll be all right now because we told you about this. And the park and the dinosaurs will be all right now too. You've got the chance to stop this.)

Zane paced over to Wu's left flank and then, like a horse, lowered his head and used it to stroke his side up and down. Even Runt seemed to sense someone in their group was upset, and jogged over to Wu, where he then parked himself alongside the scientist and lightly leaned against his legs, dry and warm to the touch. Just being there.

(Yeah Henry,) Zane said reassuringly. (The future's going to be a lot better now for you. Thanks to us, now all of you can work together to save lives and avert, well, chaos.)

(It's not fair,) Wu mumbled. (A goddamn cosmic injustice.)

(No argument here,) Muldoon replied.

Wu then perked up as a new thought struck him. It wasn't just the comforting knowledge that he had the heaven-sent opportunity to create a better outcome.

(Do they ever find out about what we're doing on the neighboring island, Sorna?) he asked hesitantly.

(I was wondering that myself,) Muldoon said.

(Sorna?) Patience said, backing away from him slightly and cocking her head in puzzlement.

(Oh, Site B!) Zane said in understanding.

(Yes,) Wu told him. (That's exactly it. Wait a moment, if you know about our other facility on Sorna,) he mused, getting a sinking feeling, (then it must be mentioned in the Jurassic Park novel about us too…)

(Nope,) Zane replied as he shook his head. (In our universe, Michael Crichton wrote an entirely different novel, about an adventure that takes place on Isla Sorna six years after the first book.)

(Does the military get at that island too?) Wu asked darkly, not really wanting to know the answer.

(You'll be pleased to know the answer is a big no,) Patience replied as she lowered her head and nuzzled him again. (The dinosaurs there are kept a secret, and left in peace. So even if Zane and I never told you what goes down in your world, your hard work and creations would still live on there after your-well, you know.)

An immense torrent of relief and gratitude flooded through Wu at the idea.

(I'm very glad to hear that,) he told them. (Yes, very glad. You can all back away now,) he gently told them. (I feel better now. Thanks for the reassurance-including you Runt,) he told the young astrodon, inwardly weakly smiling.

Runt just vapidly grinned back in response.

(No problem,) Patience told him as she turned away and returned to walking. (After all, isn't that what families are for?)

But Wu's assurance was only partially true. In his human mind and soul, a scalding pool of hurt and bitterness still swirled, festering and fed by the unbearable idea of both him and his dinosaur creations being cut down together in this Ragnarok. It needed some sort of release.

Wu had enough rationality remaining to remind himself that he couldn't take it out on Nedry. If they'd both been human, Wu would've gladly given him a good taste of his knuckles. So what to do with that acidic rage and hurt?

Out here on the fern and horsetail covered plain, spotted with cycads, bushy conifers, and flowering bushes, large herds of Tenontosaurus were grazing. Like zebras or wildebeest on the African plains, many of them had drawn close to their band and were attentively staring from just two hundred and fifty yards away, partly out of curiosity at the sight of such a bizarre herd, and partly out of an instinctive prudence to keep a constant eye on what Patience's acrocanth body was up to.

Abruptly, Henry Wu made the Iguanodon break away from the others, and headed west towards a nearby band of Tenonotosaurs, rising up on his hind feet as he did so.

As he curved away, Zane asked, (Um, Wu, where are you going dude?)

(To drown my sorrows with some greens,) Wu lied. (I also just need to be alone for a few minutes, okay?)

(Hey, that's cool,) Zane said. (You deal with the bad news however you need to.)

(Yeah, do whatever works best,) Patience agreed.

(Just don't take too long about it,) Muldoon.

Wu ignored them all as he stiffly approached the nearest herd of Tenontosaurs, their long tails slowly lashing. Their blue eyes regarded him with interest, but displayed no real concern about the approach of a fellow plant-eater. Until Wu, without any sound or warning, suddenly shifted gear and charged at them like a fighting bull.

 _Eeni meeni miny moe,_ a savage little gremlin chanted in the geneticist's Iguanodon skull, demented and unexpected and straining for release. _Catch a dead dinosaur **by the toe!**_

He was among them in an instant, the Tenontosaurs bellowing in shocked surprise and stampeding. One large bull had had his head lowered to feed, and was just a few seconds slower to react than his fellows. Wu chomped down on the long, scaly tail, feeling the bones crack as he yanked the Tenontosaur to him.

(Henry, no!) Zane yelled in horror as Wu bit down again, right into the flesh of the other dinosaur's back, and then flung it away from him. He kicked the bull right in the chest with a front foot as he writhed and groaned, hard. The Tenontosaurus tried to bite him, and Wu responded by growling in fury and kicking him right in the head, then stabbing his black thumb spike right through one of the dinosaur's cheeks, blood gushing out over it.

He kicked the bull again as he tried to get up, tried to run away, and then lightly stomped on his left flank, hearing ribs crack as the dinosaur, blue eyes wide with helpless terror, bellowed from its beaked mouth. Wu could've put the Tenontosaurus bull to death several times over already. But he wanted him to hurt first, suffer like he was inside.

The shocked protestations of Zane, Muldoon, and the others were irrelevant to him as Wu once more bit into the back muscles of the horse-sized plant eater, picked him up, and flung the bull away from him like a sack of grain in an astonishing display of power. Then he gave a cavernous bellow and was on the Tenontosaurus again, beak descending toward his twisting neck...

But then Patience was suddenly grabbing him, holding Wu with her clawed forearms, sliding her weight over his back from behind and using it to pin him to the ground. Wu cried out in surprise himself then, and struggled for a few moments, waving his tail and trying to push up with his powerfully muscled legs. But Patience bore down harder, voice firm yet understanding as she told him, (Chill out, Henry. I know it hurts bad, but that isn't the way to cope. Just breathe, and be okay. Let him go. Let everything go and remember that it's not a done deal anymore.) And that's what Wu forced himself to do, closing his eyes and becoming still in the grip of his Iguanodon body's natural predator.

He opened them to see the Tenontosaurus bull shakily get to his feet, blood soaking into, caking his feathers and trickling off his lower jaw from the soda can sized hole in his cheek, breathing pained and shallow as he stood erect and clumsily made his getaway, fleeing in the direction of his herd. Wu just dully, uncaringly watched him go as Patience carefully slackened her grip a bit and took some of the weight off. The attack had to have been both unexpected and shocking for them, coming from a fellow herbivore. Muldoon certainly felt that way.

The Sauropelta's pupils were wide, and his tail swung in S-curves as he arrived on Wu's left, saying in a firm, paternal voice that was also tinted with abject surprise and maybe even concern, (Henry, that poor bastard of a Tenonto you just went after didn't have a bloody thing to do with Nedry's deceit or the Costa Rican military. Don't you realize that, that that poor creature was totally innocent?)

Wu just weakly nodded. Above him, he heard Patience suddenly growl in fury and leap to her feet, releasing Wu from her strange embrace before stepping away and turning to roar at Muldoon.

(Of course he understands that, you nincompoop!) she snapped. (I mean holy Christ, can't you step into his shoes for a moment, understand how he might feel about even just the _thought_ that he would've lost everything, all he's ever worked for?! He's hurting terribly Rob, and sometimes when life really sucks, you can't stop yourself from taking it out on somebody else. I know what that sort of pain feels like perfectly well, trust me. Way too well,) she distantly added, growling in a softer tone.

(I can sympathize,) Muldoon replied. (Shame about that Tenontosaurus though. That seemed like rather wanton violence to me.)

(Well, it can't be changed now,) Zane said reasonably. (And at least Patience stopped him before the Tenontosaurus was killed. He might still make it.)

Wu nodded in agreement as he stood up and shook himself. (And far better to take it out on him than on Nedry himself.)

(Yeah, very far better,) Nedry quickly agreed. From a prudent distance.

(Well, I guess we'd better get going,) Wu said, sighing. He felt a strange combination of remorse over what he agreed had been wanton violence, shock at the unnatural savagery he'd displayed, and a sensation of drained relief from having vented his bitterness and anger. (I don't fully know what came over me there, but it's run its course, and now I think I'm feeling a lot calmer. I truly mean it this time,) he added.

But all the same, as their strange caravan crossed the landscape, Wu couldn't really find it in him any longer to do much talking. And instead of being near the front or in the middle, he now trailed a good distance behind.

Nedry too, did the same.

Neither of them looked at each other as they traveled, Wu out of residual anger or listlessness, Nedry out of guilt.

It helped prevent confrontation, maintained the standoff.

But all the same, now and then, the air carried a sound like popcorn popping, or that of an Iguanodon bull's batteries of teeth, grinding together.

* * *

 **Well, yeah, there it is. Hope everyone enjoyed this "hour of reckoning" chapter. If you liked or disliked something about it, please let me know. Hopefully I was able to keep all the JP boys true to canon! *fingers crossed***

 **Practice the two R's everyone!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Patience.**

It had been no picnic, telling their three companions what their fate, and the fate of Jurassic Park itself, would've been, especially Wu and Nedry-even if the programmer's was admittedly well-deserved, Patience thought. And as she and Zane had expected, they'd taken it hard.

Wu's reaction hadn't been fun to see-she'd certainly never expected him to flip out and viciously attack a random Tenontosaur!-and she even nearly felt bad for Nedry, fully understanding that although he'd remain alive thanks to their confessions, his life was now basically ruined.

 _But going over to Dodgson was still his choice, and his choice alone,_ she gruffly reminded herself. And he couldn't be allowed to go unpunished for it, no matter how difficult Hammond was to him.

With her leading, their group was now distinctly subdued and morose as they trotted under the humid Oklahoma sky. None of them really spoke, and they only stopped once, at an Olympic swimming pool sized waterhole, where they all refreshed themselves with a good drink. Zane, Muldoon, Runt, and Wu then all took turns cooling off in the wonderfully cool mud, rolling on their sides and backs and plastering themselves with the slate-gray muck, sealing their hides against the solar heat. It looked like a lot of fun-she certainly hoped Wu was getting enjoyment out of it, the poor guy-and even Patience decided to wade in up to her belly, relishing the cool sensation against the skin of her legs and thighs.

They trotted on. Every now and then, Zane would try to talk to Nedry about rap music or video games, or do something to try and get attention from her or Wu.

She decided that he was trying to either make conversation or draw her into some kind of game to make the boring trip that much easier to take. But she had a lot on her mind-heck, everyone did right now after their bombshells-and ignored him.

She also ignored the conversation that began between Muldoon and Wu, both men talking about Hammond's bullheadedness, and where things had gone wrong in the park's design and management.

In time, the great plain, now filled with a Serengeti's worth of Tenontosaurs and a scattering of Sauropelta too, gave way to a sudden drop. Before them was a valley that had large hills-mountains in training-on either side, like bookends.

A small breeding herd of Iguanodon raised their heads from their leaf lunch and wheeled out of their path at the sight of Patience as their group carefully made their way down into the valley. She watched them go with no small amount of interest. She was feeling hungry again.

Hours before, she'd gorged herself on the flesh of an unknown species of gigantic sauropod that had dwarfed even Zane, as much of it as her stomach and crop could hold. She was still powered up just fine after such a huge meal-but all the same, she was once more starting to feel the edge of hunger in her belly.

She then scented a major league buffet just ahead.

(Guys,) she informed them as her eyes widened in excitement, (I'm smelling free meat around here again.) She ran forward, each foot landing right in front of the other, stomach firmly in control of her mind.

What she was smelling was an amount of meat that would keep her totally full for at least a day. Maybe longer. But what could it be?

Everyone broke into a run as she ran, turning around one of the many hills, and running over a ridge on a game trail, then down the other side.

She swung around another hill-and nothing. No, that wasn't quite right. She could smell her food. She simply couldn't see it.

Wu arrived at her side then, commenting, (I'm smelling…and this is strange-a mixture of dinosaurs here, some alive, and some dead.)

(Look!) Zane said, half-gasping from his efforts to keep up with her. (It's over there!)

They all turned towards the right, and saw a struggling, scrabbling creature, pinned under fallen rocks. Patience felt her shoulders slump in disappointment.

 _There goes lunch_.

The half-buried animal was another dinosaur. A big one, the size of a horse. And it was alive. Not something she could bring herself to kill, eat, and feel good about.

As she approached, the dinosaur's horsey, rufous and white face turned in their direction, and its struggles became more frantic, the hair-like feathers on what she could see on its spine sticking straight up.

 _Mmmhhhuuurrrraaaahhh!_

The cry was so sad and piteous. Pleading and desperate, seeming almost to be directed at Wu. And filled with terror.

Harriet ran over to the creature and hopped over the broken rock to stand near the beaked head, cocking her own and blinking curiously. Nedry joined her as the trapped dinosaur fought in vain to break free of the sheet of stone covering two-thirds of its body.

(Looks like we have yet another one of those Cretaceous wildebeest, Tenontosaurus,) Muldoon commented.

(Good old veggie-eaters,) Zane said. (Mr. L talked about these guys.)

(Not a guy,) Wu pronounced, shaking his long head.

And Patience too, could smell this was a cow.

She felt something move in the pit of her stomach. Saliva pooled and her pulse quickened.

The Tenontosaurus cow cried out one more time, front legs kicking as Patience bent closer-and the Tenotosaurus _fainted_.

(Oh, for God's sake!) she growled in contempt.

Runt and Wu both wandered over and leaned in close, sniffing the unconscious Tenontosaur, Wu lightly prodding her shoulder with a forefoot.

(Her hands and skull bear a significant resemblance to my Iguanodon's,) he commented in interest. (Our species must clearly both belong to the same general order.)

Zane looked around. (I guess we can't just leave her here like this,) he said. (We really should do something for her.) He began to scrape pieces of rock away with his front foot.

(I personally wouldn't bother,) Muldoon advised.

Zane was shocked. (Rob!) he said, craning his neck to look over at the Sauropelta. (How can you say a thing like that? It won't take very long to get her free, I promise.)

(It's not that,) Muldoon told Zane. (It's just that have you considered what sort of shape the rest of her body might be in underneath those rocks?)

Wu nodded. (She could have broken legs, ruptured internal organs, a broken back-the chances are pretty good that she has a terrible injury or two, and frankly it would be kinder for one of us to just end her suffering if that's the case. I'll do it if you want,) he offered as he looked sideways up at Zane, displaying a thumb spike.

(Well, surely there's no harm in at least seeing what kind of shape she's in first?) Zane proposed.

(I suppose not,) Muldoon said. (But I feel you're being unduly sentimental about this, all the same.)

With a rumbling sigh, Patience leant down even closer and began digging, hooking pieces of rock and flinging them backwards.

(Well,) Wu surmised, (after finding out that I would've been gutted alive by a raptor in my universe, I'll admit I'm very much in a sympathetic mood towards prey creatures right now.) He began digging and dragging away slabs and hunks of rock too.

(Kinda makes you feel like a paleontologist, huh?) Zane asked. (We're all unearthing a dinosaur. And not some fossil, no sir-this one's alive!)

(I know Grant would be thrilled,) Wu said.

They dug, hauled rock, and dug some more under the gazes of Nedry and Muldoon as he crunched pencil pine twigs, until the Tenontosaurus was free. There was no sign of blood on her feathers, and her breathing looked to be normal.

(I'll be damned,) Wu said as he backed away and peered at her. (She actually doesn't seem any worse for wear. You'd think she'd have been crushed like a beetle.)

(Further proof that dinosaurs are tough as nails,) Muldoon replied.

(Built 'em to last back here,) Zane concurred.

(Your move now, Patience,) Muldoon told her meaningfully.

Patience reluctantly bent down again and sniffed.

(I'm getting another dino odor out of here guys.)

(Oh, that must be the dead smell,) Wu said, nodding.

She used her hand claws to dig through the rocks-and discovered another tail and a hind leg sticking out, both covered with dark feathers. They were smaller than the cow's, and the leg had three toes on it. She reached forward and nipped the stiff tail twice. No reaction.

Eagerly, she heaved away the rubble and revealed three small predators, all a little larger than Mr. London, though they didn't really look all that different from him. Except for the color of their plumage, their turtle like beaked heads, the weird colorful crests of bone on their heads, and the long arms which ended in talon-tipped claws.

Bloodied and crushed, they'd all been killed by the rock slide which had buried the now limp Tenontosaurus.

(So that explains everything then,) Muldoon said as he looked at the smaller predators, the plant-eater, and the area around them. (Look over there, at that disturbed ground,) he told them, gesturing with his super long tail.

(Those are her tracks. She came up here at a run from the southwest, with these other dinos right at her heels, harrying and trying to hamstring her with their sharp beaks-see the blood stains on her calves and thighs? But she was also kicking at them like a zebra, trying to whip them with her tail too.)

(Then she ran over here,) Muldoon continued, (probably trying to keep her back side protected as they brought her to bay. But when they all started going at it up against this slope, the vibrations and movement jolted free a mass of weathered scree up above them-and it came down on all four like a ton of bricks,) he finished.

(Puzzling that she'd be alone though,) he added. (We already know these girls live together in big breeding herds, like wildebeest or buffalo.)

(Maybe the recent thunderstorm and tornado scared her herd,) Zane suggested, (and then she panicked and got lost.)

(Could be.)

Patience personally didn't care how the plant-eater had come to be alone as she felt saliva seeping into her mouth at the smell of the blood.

Lunch was served.

Except for Nedry and Harriet, everyone else backed off and moved away as she went to work. She picked each carcass up and dug her claws into it as she tore, crunched, and swallowed like some massive crocodile. Each one lasted an average of five minutes. Overcoming his revulsion and swallowing his anger at his squealers, Nedry cautiously requested a share, and she deigned to fling him a haunch, which he and Harriet both immediately fell upon like the hyenas with the zebra thigh in _The Lion King_.

At last, she was finished.

She exhaled, and lowered herself onto the boot of her pubic bone, shifting her bloated belly as she scratched behind her shoulder with her right foot, like a dog.

(Ahh, I needed that.)

(I did too,) Wu concurred in equal satisfaction, a clump of pale purple flowers he'd just bitten off a bush disappearing into his mouth. (These flowering plants are like ice cream for this Iguanodon.)

No one had been paying attention to the Tenontosaurus cow as she'd drifted in and out of consciousness. But then Patience heard rocks clacking, and glanced over to see her standing, shakily, back up on all fours. She got a good look at Patience as the acro yawned, bloodstained jaws parting to reveal daggers of teeth-and fainted again.

Nedry laughed as Patience dryly said, (Just as well. The last thing we need is wussy, fragile little _Daisy_ here following us around. Runt and Harriet are enough camp-followers already.)

(No kidding,) Zane agreed, who'd just had a good salad of tree fern fronds and conifer needles.

(Well, we'd better get going,) Muldoon said. (Whatever happens to her will happen, and we can't linger.)

They filed away, but soon a scent came drifting on the wind.

(Looks like we've got company,) Wu commented as he tilted his head slightly to the left. Patience had a sinking feeling as she cocked her head back slightly and saw "Daisy" following their weird herd at a respectful distance. The Tenontosaurus froze when they turned toward her, back feathers rising, intently watching Patience as her beak worked-then she snorted and dove behind a large boulder.

(Oh God, no…) Patience groaned. (This is just like having Cindy following us around.)

(Cindy?) Muldoon inquired.

(Oh, this other girl at school…she's a wannabe basketball master, but she doesn't have nearly as much in the way of skills as she thinks she does. She only wants to be on the team because we're winners, and also because of stuck-up Princess Monique. She figures the popularity will rub off on her.)

(Ah.)

(I can't believe you're actually discussing your little cliques and so-called problems at your freaking school when we're trapped in the bodies of dinosaurs and my professional life, my freedom, is over as I know it,) Nedry hissed sulkily.

(Hey, it helps keep us sane,) Patience fired back. (And right now, there's not much we can do about the bigger, freakier things on our plate, so we might as well make some small talk.)

They walked on, and Zane went back to humming pop songs. Patience gave a growling hiss and shook her head as she glanced back to see Daisy moving closer.

(Look at her,) she said. (All quiet and demure. She took one look at me and just passed out. She _fainted_ , for heaven's sake. What a wuss.)

(She might have taken a nasty hit to the head,) Zane said. (Head injuries have-)

(Oh, like _you_ actually know about stuff like that,) she said tetchily. (Now Wu, he knows what he's talking about. Nedry, he knows what he's talking about too. But face it, you're the Fozzie Bear of our group, not Bunsen Honeydew-'Zane _the brain_ ' you're not here.)

(Patience!) Wu barked in shock.

Patience expected Zane to make some kind of joke, backing up what she had said. Instead, his pupils contracted with anger and he made a low rumble with his snout chambers, swinging his tail.

Wu was clearly miffed, for he ground his teeth again and growled before pounding over to her and blocking her path, bringing her up short in surprise as he bellowed, displaying his thumb spikes.

(What you just said to him was incredibly mean-spirited and hurtful,) he droned angrily. (You apologize to Zane, right now!)

(Why? I didn't truly mean it, seriously.)

(It doesn't matter,) Wu sternly replied. (He's a lot more intelligent than you're obviously willing to recognize or give him credit for-to remember so many details about what happens to Jurassic Park and the exact sequence of events, he has to be-and he deserves better from you as one of his peers.)

(And this is not a trivial issue,) he added. (I've seen too many students in my own high school who were amazingly gifted and smart, fall by the wayside and amount to nothing as a result of being picked on and bullied. In sharp contrast, students that are intelligent in Asian cultures are lionized as class her-)

(Okay!) Patience snapped. (Fine! If you feel that strongly about it, then I'll apologize Henry,) she growled.

Wu fell back and backed out of her way, meaningfully gesturing with his thumb-spikes at Zane as he did so.

Patience shifted her weight from foot to foot, and tried to keep her voice from sounding too grudging as she told the astrodon, (Sorry Zane. Henry's right, and I take that comment back. We're cool again?)

(A-okay,) he replied, pupils widening with pleasure and gratitude as he glanced down and over at Wu.

(And…) the Iguanodon prodded.

(And also, I'll never disrespect or make fun of you again.)

(Thank you. Glad to hear that.)

Daisy was continuing to follow them.

(Anyway, the basic point I was making before is that she's a girly-girl,) Patience grunted. (All feminine and dainty and proper. Look at the way she holds back. And she keeps her head down. Even the way she walks. It's not as bad as the stuff you were showing me with the girly-girl lessons, but still-)

(I think you're getting rather deep into the anthropomorphism there,) Muldoon said skeptically, cutting Patience off. (She's a dinosaur, not a person.)

(I'd personally say she's walking like any plant-eating dinosaur that's evolved to browse low to the ground, and is currently caught between the instinct to mix with the company of a herd, her curiosity, and her very reasonable fear of an apex carnivore,) Wu supplied.

(And aren't you usually walking in a head-down posture yourself?) Zane smoothly added.

Patience shook her head. (You're not getting it.)

(I guess I'm not,) Zane said. He began to hum another tune, from The Wizard of Oz.

(If I Only Had A Brain…)

(Don't worry Zane,) Wu gently reassured him. (You are one extremely smart sauropod.)

They walked on, and then Patience, losing the quality of her name, broke into a run to leave Daisy behind.

(Sayonara, lizard!) Nedry shouted over his shoulder.

No one else said anything. They all just ran on two legs or four to keep up, panting in the heat.

Soon, they could now not only no longer see Daisy, but her scent had vanished completely too.

Exactly what Patience wanted.

(Thank God,) Nedry sighed in relief. (Looks like we gave that stupid cow of a dinosaur the slip. I don't suppose you'd do me the favor of giving her some company?) he asked Harriet wearily as he shot her an irritated glance.

Her response was to cheep, then try to groom his flank.

(Oh, just leave me the hell alone!) he barked in revolted consternation as he harshly drove her off with a sharp slap. (I'm in one majorly pissy mood right now already!)

The group slowed, and they kept on keeping on. Then, about three quarters of an hour later, Patience suddenly heard a commotion ahead.

Screeches. Deep groaning bellows. Squawks and enraged hisses.

They were upwind, but Patience's muscles tensed and the quills covering her upper body bristled as she felt eagerness and excitement from her acro body, sensing what was going on.

(We've got a merry battle going on very near,) Muldoon commented.

Yes, a fight!

A fight meant a chance to steal another predator's prey, or kill a lesser type of carnivore itself. Either way, the desire to rush in and exploit the confusion was irresistible.

(Time for some dessert!) Patience said without thinking as she instinctively raced forward, coming to a dark, wide hidden cleft in a vast mesa. Inside, there was a band of the same type of small predators that had been entombed with Daisy earlier.

(Wow. They look like Oviraptors,) Wu pronounced, (although there are some differences. And displaying predatory behavior, no less!)

(Yeah,) Muldoon agreed. (I thought their clan were strict-egg eaters, but these chaps certainly aren't.)

(And they too, have feathers as well!) Wu gushed in excited disbelief. (These things are no naked lizards.)

(Microvenators!) Zane said in equal excitement. (These meat-eaters are a type of oviraptorid called Microvenators. The others were just a little too busted up for a proper ID and, well, Patience _ate_ them. But here some are, alive and kicking! Just look at them.)

And Patience was looking. The Microvenators were mantled in chocolate brown feathers with daubs of dirty yellow, their heads and upper necks covered with warty, lavender skin that made them look a lot like turkeys. They seemed to be using fans of silver feathers at the ends of their tails to signal and coordinate the attack, copper eyes blazing as they moved with a savage, deadly purpose. Their slashing, gouging black claws and snapping turtle beaks flashed in the semi-darkness. They darted about, swooped in, and then retreated with astonishing speed, slashing and biting down into some aquamarine, long-tailed mass like two-legged snapping turtles, hanging on grimly and yanking, then letting go for another rush.

That's when Patience realized what the mass was.

(They've got another Tenonto at bay,) Muldoon droned. It had obviously registered on him too. (With those turtle beaks these dinos have, it's going to be a slow and bloody business.)

(Look at how they're using their tail fans for communication, almost like semaphores!) Wu babbled. (Amazing.)

The herbivore struggled, wheeling on its hind feet and hurling one of the predators into a nearby wall and stunning it. There was a mad, defiant glare in its blue goat eyes.

(That had to hurt something fierce,) Muldoon commented, wincing.

The dinosaur flinched at the words, but then went back to kicking at and trying to stomp the attacking meat-eaters like a desperate horse, groaning and trying to bite them as well.

(Not a good situation to be in,) Nedry commented.

This was a dinosaur Patience respected now. The way it moved, the way it fought and rose up to the challenge. This one was nothing was nothing like Dainty Daisy. Her heart went out to it then, and she found she couldn't bear the thought of seeing it fall.

But what should she do to help?

What _could_ she do?

If Patience went over to intervene, the Tenontosaur might panic and injure herself on one of the rocks littered inside the cave. Or the Microvenators might switch their attention to Nedry or Runt.

The breeze picked up. A draft whipped around the confines of the small enclosure and reached Patience's nostrils. She curiously sniffed-and couldn't believe what she was smelling.

(It's Daisy,) she said excitedly, perking up. (Holy Christ, that's Daisy!)

(She must have taken a passage through the mountains to come out ahead of us,) Zane guessed.

(But what exactly is she up to?) Wu asked.

From the dim shadows of the recess came their answer. Lumbering and limping, another, slightly larger Tenontosaurus appeared, tail swinging as he snorted in challenge.

A bull. To Patience, he smelt like "half of" Daisy, and it threw her for a loop briefly. Then she realized.

This bull was Daisy's _brother._

At the sight of the injured bull, the Microvenators switched targets, running from Daisy. Or-they tried to.

Like Wu just had with Nedry, Daisy came at them like an out-of-control pickup truck, with a speed Patience never would have expected, running on her hind legs. She reared up, grabbed one of the meat-eaters by the tail with her beak, lifted it high as it squawked, and flung it right into a second Microvenator, their skulls smacking together with a sickening crack.

(Well done, cousin,) Wu said approvingly as the dazed pair-a cock and a hen-jerkily tried to scrabble back to their feet, limbs and tails getting in each other's way as they croaked and squawked. Finally they disentangled themselves and stood.

The Microvenator cock Daisy had stunned, or at least knocked down earlier, was back on his feet, copper eyes focused on the bull as he went for him like a dart. Daisy whirled, knocked him down with her flail of a tail, and then kicked with her three-toed hind feet, her forefeet planted like a horse's. There was a sharp crackle of impact against the stone wall, and the cock collapsed onto his back in a heap, his little arms and legs spasmodically kicking, then growing still.

(Sheesh, that was brutal!) Nedry said in shock.

(And a Microvenator bites the dust,) Muldoon commented.

Two more Microvenators raced beyond her. She launched herself forward in an impression of a running back, feet pounding, and fell on a hen, tackling her like a football.

The Microvenator- _squished_!

(Oh my God,) Zane said in revulsion.

(I could've gladly lived without seeing that,) Wu shuddered as he jerked away.

But the second one, a large cock, was free. He went for the dazed, injured bull, with his two remaining companions running right behind him.

(NO!) Patience reflexively screamed.

The sound that actually emerged from her was a roar made even louder by the cave's small space.

Wu and Zane instinctively both backpedaled at the fearsome sound. The Microvenators and the bull all froze, feathers on end as they half-crouched in terror. Daisy turned wearily, questioningly. The rectangular pupils contracted as they fixed on Patience, foam dripping from her panting beak.

And Patience found herself taking two steps back. She noticed Muldoon doing the same, softly saying, (Easy girl, easy…)

That was enough for the trio of Microvenators. They circled far and wide around the bull and vanished into a slim, dark cleft.

(Hey, that was pretty cool!) Zane said approvingly, glancing at her, then Muldoon. (Backing up when you guys did. Making the Microvenators think even you two were scared crapless by Daisy. Using your heads. And not just rushi-)

(She looked scary,) Patience replied earnestly.

(She _still_ looks bloody scary,) Muldoon added.

(Maybe we should leave her in peace now,) Wu suggested.

(Maybe that's a good idea,) Patience agreed.

And so they did.

They walked for a time, sticking to the mission. Patience was now unsettled. Frankly, she was in something of a state of shock.

(Okay if I mention something?) Zane cautiously asked, looking over at her with his soft brown eyes.

(Shoot.)

(You look pretty freaked right now.)

(Dumbstruck,) Wu agreed.

Patience considered. (I guess you could call it that.)

(Any reason in particular?) Zane asked.

Patience fought back the creeping drowsiness that the heat was causing her and picked up the pace. (It's just…what we saw with Daisy. Dainty Daisy. She just kicked some serious predator butt.)

(She sure did,) Zane agreed.

(No kidding,) Nedry said.

(But here I thought she's a girly-girl.)

Muldoon laughed. (Oh, believe me Patience, there's no such thing as the "weaker sex" among wild animals, let me assure you-least of all when there's fighting that has to be done. Many times I've seen lionesses fling themselves right in the faces of hulking male lions that were a third bigger than they in defense of their cubs, and wildebeest cows bowl over hyenas and wild dogs that were attacking their calves, for example.)

(The way I figure it,) Zane surmised, (she must've been forced to leave her brother behind to go munch some plants. Then like Muldoon said, she was attacked by the Microvenators and trapped by the rock slide.)

(She certainly didn't need our help,) Patience said.

(I should say not,) Muldoon concurred. (And that is a big reason why, quite frankly, I have a lot more respect for large herbivores than carnivores. Carnivores like hyenas pick and choose their fights, and if they don't like the odds, they back off and look for another opportunity, someone that's weaker. But a plant-eater doesn't have that luxury when under attack. It has everything to lose, and so needs to fight back with everything it has.)

(I'm pretty sure she didn't,) Zane replied to her. (But, what do I know, right? Wu, Muldoon, Nedry, they all know _so_ _much more_ about these types of things that I ever will,) he grumbled bitterly. (Zane _the brain_ I'm not.)

(That is **_not_** true,) Wu said firmly. (Don't you _dare_ ever say that about yourself Zane,) he chided. (Never sell your intelligence short, you understand?) he commanded as he cast a very dirty look at Patience.

Patience had actually noticed Zane using his brains a lot more of late than she ever would have thought possible. A part of her decided that she probably owed it to him to take him aside and give him an apology, one that he wouldn't interpret as her only parroting it out because Wu had made her say it.

But she was a lot more preoccupied with what she had seen from Daisy. For some reason, it made her feel excited, made her think.

She was as confused as before, but excited and pleased.

Maybe that was because she didn't have to either _just_ be a tough-as-nails tomboy, or _just_ a prissy girly-girl. Maybe she could learn to accommodate both aspects in equal measure.


	23. Chapter 23

**Aaannnddd back to Bob.**

* * *

 **Bob.**

When Robert London had first encountered the small group of Hypsilophodon bachelors, he had barely been able to tell one from another. They all had the same dark red, glowering eyes, the same green and pink hair-like plumage with a navy blue dorsal crest, and were about the same size, with no features to mark the individual Hypsy.

But in spite of that…

While he sat with them, resting after his strenuous trials and trying to work out a plan for getting across the vast lake and it's presumably crocodile-haunted waters safely, he'd begun to detect differences among them.

First, there was Leo. The creative, driven one.

While the others blankly fed, or stood around, waiting for their new leader to do something, Leo decided to cut loose. He liked to play, getting the others to run around the trunks of trees, race each other, see how high they could jump, and usually using fallen logs as hurdles. Plucking at the tails of his fellows with his beak seemed to please him mightily as well.

Whenever Bob spoke, or did something else unusual for a hypsy, he seemed to be the most fascinated and interested of all four. He also seemed to just have a sort of confident, magnetic aspect to him, something that made you want to know him better. And he was respectful of his companions, allowing them to share his food, never turning them down when they solicited grooming.

At the same time though, he seemed to have a real stubborn streak to him. If he couldn't leap over a log or bush in one jump, he'd try again, backing up and making as many as three more attempts before either succeeding or giving up. He also came across to Bob as the headstrong type, who took no guff from anyone.

Bob decided to name him after the horoscope sign.

Then there was Al, just one of the guys.

He had a relaxed attitude towards things, not too high-strung-well, for a prey animal-taking life as it came. When they came across the old scents and droppings of a group of hypsy hens and half-grown chicks that had traveled through the area, he showed the most interest out of all the bachelors, and might have even gone off on his own to track them if the odor had been fresher by just even several hours.

He liked to eat, and although his plumage wasn't ragged or unkempt, he didn't seem to care as much about grooming it as the others did. He also didn't seem to be all that bothered by simply standing or sitting around-indeed, he seemed to like taking a load off his feet.

Not exactly Al Bundy from _Married With Children_ , but it would work.

Carl, the curious dreamer, was third.

While it was entirely probable that he was either especially alert or simply liked to dumbly stare off into space, he would often stand still and just meditatively sniff the air, looking around him. Bob had a sense, more often than not, that Carl was not just analyzing, but actively appreciating the sights and rich smells around him, reveling in them.

He was also intensely fascinated by unusual things, and just his world in general. Even a dead snake, bronze scales glistening with iridescence, was closely inspected with almost scientific curiosity, cocking his head back and forth, putting his face right up to it.

He also seemed to hate any fighting in the group, raising his head and yelping in disapproval if there was a disagreement or squabble.

And when it was over, he would sit and look at the forest and the sky with an expression of curiosity and thoughtfulness once more.

Bob felt that he had the soul of an explorer. A scientist and philosopher. He felt that if the late great Carl Sagan was here, he'd feel a special kinship with this particular Hypsilophodon cock.

And finally, there was Hal.

He was easily annoyed, and Al and Leo would tease him for just that reason. He liked things neat and orderly.

Hal used his feet to kick away twigs and leaf litter before sitting down. He groomed his plumage impeccably, and was selective in his choices of greenstuff. He didn't like Al's lazy and awkward ways, and he didn't understand Carl's curiosity, and often butted heads with Leo.

This was a hypsy that was all business, ruled by logic. At least, until he became too frustrated. Then, with a rolling, guttural click or rattle of his beak, he would leap at, try to kick, and wrestle with them, then sullenly stalk off to brood away from the others, feathers puffed out as he flicked his tail like an angry cat.

He reminded Bob of the supercomputer from the movie _2001: A Space Odyssey_ , HAL-the coldly logical intellect that also had a few toys in the attic.

But all the hypsys treated Bob in a way he'd never been treated before. He was both one of them and looked up to by them.

They showed him to food and water. When he displayed excitement, they became happy. When he became sad, they groomed him, or tried to amuse him with their capering.

It was in these moments, when Bob London wasn't trying so hard, that answers came to him.

He now had an idea how to get back to the lake while keeping under the radar of the Microvenators.

But then there was another problem to deal with.

Since he'd hit a wall with that one for the moment, he decided to tell his fellow hypsys a story.

(This is how I remember it,) Bob said, using one of his five-fingered hands to scratch his nape as his companions gathered around him, listening attentively. (A young boy sat on a high cliff at dawn, listening to tales told by his grandfather. He was told that if he could reach the spot where the rainbows end, he would find a golden key.)

(The boy asked, "What door was this key meant for?" And his grandfather replied, "Something as grand and as old and as vast as all of time itself. But in the end, that's up to you to find out.")

Bob stopped and mentally frowned.

(All fantasy of course. But…I had an _amber_ key in my hand just this morning, and I could sense that it unlocked the future itself.)

(How or why, I don't know. But for some time now, I've known that there are doors. Quantum gateways to other worlds-and other times. And I was so eager to open them and step on through to the other side.)

The hypsys hung on his every word. Bob stood, and walked over to a massive boulder, climbing atop it and looking out over the landscape of Early Cretaceous Oklahoma, stranded in a time long before history. (Now I'm very much wondering why.)

He laughed and shook his head. Here he was, acting like he was back in the classroom, lecturing to a group of students.

Well, these weren't students. They obviously considered themselves friends-which made what he had to do even harder.

And then, the answer he'd been seeking came to him.

(Gentlemen,) Bob said, turning to face the hypsys, (I think it's time I taught you a new game!)

Leo and the others snapped to attention and bleated in excitement. Bob joined Al in scanning the horizon, checking for any danger. Seeing none, he began.

The game was hide-and-seek. It took some time to teach the Hypsilophodons, creatures even lower on the scale of intelligence than turkeys, the basic rules. And as herding animals, they desperately wanted to follow him, so he had to make the very willing Leo the seeker in the beginning. But they caught on to his psychic cues soon enough, and by the fifth round, all four were standing in a loose huddle with eyes closed while Bob bolted away from them.

Bob darted through the forest and came to a stream he'd spotted from the trees. He rolled about in the leaf litter and wet dirt and moss until he was covered completely in it.

Then he went on his way. He traveled for several miles, weaving through tree trunks and leaping over logs like a deer, running hard, when he heard movement from a cluster of tree ferns ahead.

Tensing, Bob ducked under a partly fallen tree and watched as two plumed legs leapt over the trunk and continued on.

He worried for a moment that the Microvenators had come back, that he'd led the other hypsys right into their path.

But no, it was Hal and Al working together. They raced on, sniffing the still air, shrugging in confusion. Bob waited until they were long gone before he continued making his way to the lake.

As he trotted along, Bob felt the first twinges of guilt. He liked Leo and the other hypsys. He didn't exactly enjoy ditching them, even if it was for their own good. After all, allowing them to follow him to Ground Zero would be reckless and irresponsible. He had no idea what dangers waited there.

But he also felt lonely. That was crazy, of course. He had essentially been on his own for a good deal of his life. An only child, his parents-both scientists themselves-had been new at the game, inexperienced in how to raise and socialize a kid properly.

He'd also been a "boy genius," accepted to college when he was just sixteen. His high grades, his impressive intelligence, grasp of advanced scientific concepts, the irritation and frustration he displayed towards people that weren't of his mental caliber, and the fact that he generally had all the social graces of Jon Arbuckle from the Garfield comics had conspired to set him apart. True, he was a cut above the rest. But good God, could it be so lonely at the top.

 _Was that what life had been like for Will?_ Bob wondered.

No, he decided. Will was comfortable in his own skin, something Bob had never truly been.

He suspected that Henry could relate somewhat more closely however. Bob had the strong impression that Wu too, had also been a precocious prodigy as a teenager, and got similarly frustrated with people that couldn't or wouldn't see reason, who closed their eyes to what was so logically obvious.

On the other hand though, the Chinese-American geneticist had grown up with a brother and two sisters. And Chinese culture placed a strong emphasis on family. Henry had never grown up alone, and he seemed to do pretty well socially too.

Ahead, the sweet smell of the lake reached him. But he also saw and smelt soccer ball sized lumps of horse-like dung, dappled with white urea, littering the area.

And he wasn't alone.

Bob grabbed and ate two of the dung beetles that were already flocking to the dino pies for a protein boost, then climbed and pulled himself up a series of low branches until he'd gotten into the upper reaches of a fifty foot conifer. Carefully, he made his way out onto a sturdy bough and surveyed the scene.

(Well, speak of the devil,) he said softly.

A trio of 30 foot dinosaurs stood at the edge of the water, chomping horsetails and flowering bushes. They walked on all fours, but sometimes stood up on two legs in a hunched over posture, like a T. rex. Their large bodies were thick with muscle. Their tails were long and heavy, tapering off to a sharp point. Their necks were a foot or two long, their heads slightly egg-shaped, with dark, soft eyes like a sheep's.

They were funny looking. Totally benign and nonthreatening. Except for one thing-their hands.

Bob cocked his head and squinted when he saw the formidable spikes that jutted from each of their hands. Sunlight glinted off the dagger tips. Wu had the exact same type of thumbs. Which was only to be expected, since his own dinosaur "vehicle" was the same kind as these folks.

Iguanodon bulls.

The original "terrible lizards."

Peaceful enough herbivores which could also actually _defend_ themselves in a scrap. Bob was sure that if they had to be, any one of these Iggy bulls could be every bit as dangerous as any bison or rhino.

Although he knew it was ridiculous, he still couldn't help but hopefully call out, (Hey, Wu! Looks like you found a couple friends!)

The bulls all stopped feeding and stood up on their hind legs, doing an unwitting Fonzie impression as they each raised their heads and tilted them to give him a sidelong look, pupils dilating in interest.

But there was no response in his head.

He thought of Zane and his silly but affectionate way of naming the dinosaurs they encountered. In honor of the absent student, Bob decided to dub the trio Spike, Tantor, and Speed Racer.

He shifted his weight-and slipped off the branch he'd been resting on! Bob flailed and bleated as he dropped through a net of leaves and branches, hitting the needle-covered ground and suffering a sore butt. But the only real damage done was to his sense of pride.

The noise and telepathic speech had been enough to make the Iggy bulls drift his way.

(Uh, hi there guys,) Bob said. (I wonder if I could ask a favor?)

The bulls jerked at the communication, stared at Bob in confusion and suspicion for several long moments, and then padded closer, standing tall and sniffing the air from just a car's length away as Bob respectfully stayed still, trying to make sense of what had just happened in their heads.

Tantor and Speed Racer both gave explosive snorts of agitation, then rumbled in an almost contemplative manner. Then all three bulls turned away, snuffling, and walked back to the shore, where they began snacking on water lilies and horsetails like gigantic moose.

As crazy as he knew it was, Bob wondered if there was something he could offer the Iguanodons, some way he could get them to pitch in with the work he was planning. It would certainly go quicker if he had assistance.

(I don't suppose any of you has a thorn stuck in his foot or anything like that?) Bob asked.

The Iggies stopped and stared at him once more in fascination, but kept as silent as stones. They sniffed, then went back to eating.

Bob felt like a freshman again, still not fitting in with the bigger students.

Suddenly, a rustling came from behind, from around him. A quartet of dark shapes sprang from the cover of the forest and pounced on Bob. He bleated in terror, certain the Microvenators had caught him, and briefly struggled, hoping he could break free just long enough to seek safety among the Iggy bulls.

Then he slumped with relief as he heard rolling clicks and clucks of greeting, felt beaks grooming his feathers, and saw dark red eyes looking at him from underneath beetling eagle eyebrows.

Leo, Al, Hal, and Carl had learned the ropes a lot better than Bob had ever expected!

He sighed with both reluctance and pleasure as he rolled away from them and shook himself. (Okay. I guess you can all come along after all."

He went into the forest and searched for fallen branches and logs of just the right thickness. The other hypsys, curious as ever, followed him without hesitation, feeding as they went.

(Well, class,) Bob said offhandedly, (today, in the spirit of The Swiss Family Robinson, we're going to build ourselves a raft…)


	24. Chapter 24

**Will**

Will stared into Hook's eyes as he used his claws to fasten the last of the bindings. He'd made a splint that held Hook's injured leg stiff and in the proper position so that the raptor could comfortably walk, or at least hobble.

Wild leaps or furious battles, on the other hand, were out of the question.

It had been a touchy business. Will had volunteered at a wildlife rescue the previous summer, and he'd quickly learned that a wounded animal was a desperate, unpredictable, dangerous animal-especially carnivores like bobcats or coyotes-and he wanted no part of an even more dangerous version of Hook.

Will had climbed down into the roach pit, and, shutting off his mind to what he was going to do, joined his packmate in tearing the flesh and cracking the bones of a graceful, beaked plant-eater that he'd come to know as Dwalin. Until he'd run from Hook in a blind panic, falling into this chasm and breaking his reedy neck on impact. A kinder end than being eaten alive under a raptor's claws though, of that Will was certain.

Afterwards, when there was nothing left of Dwalin but bloodstained feathers, hind feet, the back portion of the tail, and his head for the cockroaches to pick over, they each snapped up a few larger specimens of the roaches for dessert, then went to opposite sides of the pit and sat down to groom their feather coats.

The procedure done, Will then braced himself to work on Hook.

The other Deinonychus, wary about allowing Will to come close to him initially, had displayed his remaining sickle claw and hissed, clacking his jaws and bristling his feathers in threat, trying to stand as tall as possible.

When Will stood his ground, Hook had softened his attitude. Will had literally leaped on the opportunity, seizing the raptor's feathered leg and straightening it so quickly and precisely that Hook had given an incredible, nearly ultrasonic screech that caused Tink to go into a tizzy far up in her chamber, then passed out from the pain.

This made the rest of Will's work much easier.

Roots were all he had to work with, but they were enough.

When Hook woke up, milky nictitating membranes sliding away from his eyes, he saw the weird thing Will was placing on him, that this member of the peasantry was _touching_ him, and struggled for a few moments, growling.

Then he seemed to realize that his pain was less severe since Will had set the broken limb. And as weird as it made him feel, Will decided to butter Hook up further by grooming his feathers with his front teeth, nibbling at and running them through the gaps like a horse. After this, the other raptor relaxed even further and allowed Will to continue.

He'd admittedly thought long and hard about doing this for the raptor. He knew that wild animals couldn't _ever_ be expected to display gratitude towards someone that'd helped them, and truly believed that Hook would turn on him the first chance he got.

The solution to that was simple. Will would always watch his back, never give him that chance.

And that meant keeping the raptor on a short leash while Will continued to explore the tunnels for a way out.

(Try and stand,) Will said, backing away tensely from the raptor.

Hook flinched and briefly hissed at the sound of Will's head-voice. Then he cocked his head, looked down at his leg, sniffed the splint of roots intently, and then pushed off from against the wall behind him, stiff tail waving for balance. He put most of his weight on his good leg, sparing the injured one as much as possible.

He gave a chirp, and lowered his head as his viper pupils dilated, clearly in pain. Then he made himself stop panting, snorted forcefully, and stood up as straight as possible, eyes boring into Will's as he put a bit more weight on the broken foot.

 _I'm Big Guy's son, the pack's future leader. I'm tough, and can handle this. I'll take this injury like a true warrior, with no weakness or complaining._

(Good,) Will grunted. (If you can suck it up, then let's go.)

He led the limping raptor from the roach pit and Dwalin's remains to one of the branching tunnels he hadn't yet explored. He created a new system of marking with tally marks to help tell this tunnel apart from the ones he'd already explored.

It wasn't long before he heard something following them.

Another predator was roaming the tunnels. Will had caught only a glimpse of her the last time she'd been exploring. It was a long armed meat eater about his size with raking fingers, a sharp, stout turtle beak, and a crest of bone on her head.

It wasn't big or bold enough to dare go after Tink, at least not without backup. But Will could easily picture her in the vast underground prison of the Tenontosaurus herd, looking to pick off either one of Balin and Dwalin's kind, or one of the younger "tendon lizards" trapped below with their elders.

This other predator had saved Will's life, though certainly not on purpose.

Will had been about to enter a chamber filled with natural gas, his torch held high. The resulting explosion would have roasted him like a turkey.

Cornered and taken by surprise, the other theropod had struck out, knocking the torch from his hand just in time.

(I think our new pal wanted to warn me off,) Will said to Hook. (Maybe she wanted me to know this was her territory. Or was just protecting herself. Now she's following us. Might be drawn by the smell of our recent meal on us. Or that now there's two raptors down here. Or it might be something else entirely. I don't know. You have any ideas?)

Hook only rustled the feathers on his shoulders, like a chicken, and then casually yawned.

(I sure hope she's alone. I wish there was some way to find out,) he mulled thoughtfully.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, but Hook then turned and gave a feline hiss up the tunnel. The footsteps trotted off, fading.

But after a minute, they tentatively returned, matching their pace from a farther distance than before.

Will cocked his head slightly, listening, flicking his tail.

(Good move Hook. Now we know she's respectful and cautious around us, but not so scared that she'll run away. There's two of us, one of her, but although she isn't pushing her luck, she's still confident. Maybe she does have friends,) he concluded uneasily.

Hook sniffed the air. The tunnels branched ahead of them. Hook shook his feather coat again, then sneezed.

The air was dusty and close, like a crawlspace. The cleaner air circulating through the tunnels wasn't coming from this direction.

Hook turned, sneezing again. He cocked his head and his eyes narrowed. He started back.

Will was about to literally snap at the raptor, to remind him who was in charge. But his body's instincts told him that Hook knew what he was doing.

Until the accident that had cost him one of his sickle claws, Will had thought of Hook as Junior. The son of the pack leader, Big Guy, the one who would follow in his V-shaped footprints. He'd done everything he could to make Will's life among the other Deinonychus a living hell, whether it be scapegoat or punching bag.

But now, as Will walked beside Hook, placing one foot in front of the other-taking it slowly, partly to accommodate the raptor's injury, partly so he never showed his back to the other dinosaur-he was reminded of walking down the halls at school with his buddy Lance at his side.

It felt reassuring and comfortable in some ways, but scary and disturbing in others.

 _Oh God, I'm starting to feel like one of them,_ Will thought.

 _A raptor._

He put a clawed hand to his mouth and shuddered. Hook turned his head and gave him a puzzled glance.

They trailed the other predator. Will could hear her breathing coming harder, and the sounds of her feet scurrying ahead. She seemed to be moving with deliberate purpose now.

(She might be leading us into a trap,) he warned, thinking out loud.

He knew Hook couldn't understand, yet he perceived that they were communicating on some level.

Hook raised his snout defiantly and snorted, as if to say, _Well,_ _ **I'm**_ _not afraid. If you want answers, then let's go get them._

Either this other theropod had pals, or she knew her way around this labyrinth, and knew she could easily give them the slip if pressured too hard.

If the latter was true, then she just might know a way outside.

Both raptors trotted after the darting dinosaur. She led them down tunnels that Will had already explored, and across connecting pathways he hadn't noticed before.

He marked the walls as he could, frantically attempting to construct and file away a full 3-D picture of the stone maze in his mind.

The other theropod was now apparently becoming frantic herself, breathing sharper and faster as she shifted gears.

The tunnels rose and fell, then Will had a sense that they were climbing higher in the mountain than ever before. Hook was hobbling faster, as if he sensed Will's excitement.

The air became thinner, fresher. The darkness around them lifted slightly.

Will turned a corner and saw a beam of golden sunlight lancing down like a benediction from a tiny gap high above.

(Yes!) he cried in delight.

Hook though, took several awkward steps back, lightly clacking his jaws in agitation. He then gave a sharp cough.

 _Come right here._ _Now!_

(Huh? What is it?)

Then Will's sensitive ears heard it. A rumbling. Bits of stone falling. He quickly scanned the small chamber into which their quarry had led them, and got a good look at the other dinosaur for the first time. Her abdomen strangely distended, she'd paused to rest, panting.

On seeing the raptors, she gave a sharp croak like a raven, and then bolted in panic, running right into a stone pillar, cracked and crumbling, a single support that led to the roof ten feet above.

(No, wait!)

Too late. The long-armed theropod shoved at the pillar, then darted back as a section of the stone column cracked and fell away. The rumbling from above intensified, and stones dropped like bombs.

Will saw her dart through the mouth of a thin, cleft-type tunnel. The entrance was quickly buried by debris as the ceiling continued to collapse.

He did an about face and was nearly struck by a boulder as he and Hook bolted back the way they'd come, the crashing of stone turning deafening. The tunnel's mouth was sealed off in moments.

Will scurried ahead, hearing Hook's uneven gait and wheezing breathing behind him.

Oh God. Behind him…

Will ran, driving himself on, and came across a fork in the path. He turned left, praying it would widen out soon and give him the chance to turn and face Hook. Then it dipped sharply, and he slid down twenty yards in complete darkness, clawing and shouting, before his head hit stone hard and he slid to a stop.

He was on the brink of passing out when he heard Hook moving and breathing. The other raptor was above him, and if Hook was intending to strike at his rival, Will could do nothing to defend himself. Maybe if he turned onto his back, he could use the claws on all four limbs to keep Hook at bay while protecting his neck and spine…

He thought he heard Hook shifting his weight in the darkness.

A scratching came from the wall beside him. Three short marks. Then silence. What had he just been up to?

Suddenly, from just forty feet behind Hook, gravel and dust began to fall, clattering against the tunnel floor. Will and Hook both barked in agitation, and he felt his muscles tense in terror.

Was another cave-in about to happen here too?

But only gravel and pieces of broken rock fell to hit the tunnel floor, and all from the same general spot, as if they were being poured through a chute. Weird.

And then, the fall of rock stopped.

As it did, from a newly created hole in the ceiling, light suddenly poured in. But it was high up, and only as big around as an orange. There would be no escaping through that. Still, the sight of sunlight lifted Will's spirits and gave him hope.

By its light, he saw Hook settling back down, shaking his shoulders to cast off the dust, cocking his head at the shaft of light, then watching him.

Craning his neck, Will cocked his own head-and saw the marks Hook had made on the wall.

They were crude imitations of the symbols Will had been making to keep track of their location.

Will was amazed. Hook was most likely just engaging in the raptor equivalent of "monkey see, monkey do." Or maybe he thought this was some sort of strange new game.

But ultimately, he had no idea what to make of Hook's uncanny actions. Sometimes, he was certain that he'd come to understand the Deinonychus.

Then again, back home he had thought he understood a lot of things that he really hadn't known the half of.

(Okay,) Will said softly. He rose and held out a hand to Hook. (Let's try that again…)


	25. Chapter 25

**Whew! I thought I'd never get this chapter done! A lot of stuff happens here, and I had quite a job padding it out with more material, then tailoring it all to work smoothly. Enjoy the drama, folks!**

* * *

 **Muldoon.**

The heat had become searing, and they'd stopped in a stretch of hilly country, covered with open forest, to doze for an hour or two in whatever shade they could find.

Zane and Runt had slipped into a copse of cedars, folding their legs at their sides like camels and then letting their long necks droop, heads hanging limply.

Patience folded her legs underneath her like an ostrich, sat down on her huge pubic "boot" and then laid down on her right side in the shade of a small clump of palms, soft ferns pillowing her huge body.

Nedry and Harriet each curled up underneath a chosen flowering bush in close proximity like jackals at rest, panting in the heat.

Wu laid down on his belly near the acro, forelegs stretched out in front of him, and also let his head droop, eyes half-shut-but like every herbivore, still ever alert to danger.

Muldoon inserted himself into a dense thicket of palmettos, their leaves hissing and rasping against his pebbly armor and being torn by his spikes. He bit off and ate part of a frond, then lowered his ironclad of a body to the ground and closed his eyes as he laid prone, listening briefly to the calls of the insects, the frogs and birds before drifting off. Of all the creatures here, his dinosaur "vessel" was one of the lucky few that could afford the luxury of sleeping deeply.

Later, Muldoon was woken up by the sound of plants being crushed and the sensation of a scaly, callused object touching his long whip of a tail, lightly pawing it.

(Wake up,) a voice whispered.

Wu's. There was an odd quality to his voice, something hushed and awed.

(Please, Henry,) Muldoon grumbled in annoyance. (Can't it wait until we're on the move again?) he asked, eyes closing once more as he flicked his tail to bat away the Iguanodon's prodding hand.

(It could, but you'd very much regret missing out on seeing this, trust me,) Wu fervently insisted.

Muldoon grunted, then opened his eyes and raised his head a few inches off the ground, moving it a few inches to focus better on Wu.

(What is so bloody _important_ that you want me to see, Henry?)

(It's a sauropod. A new kind, three of them.)

Muldoon turned away and placed his head on the leaves again, muttering, (That's all? I've seen plenty of damn sauropods already, both at the park and down here in the rabbit hole-not to mention that we're traveling with one. Clapping eyes on a couple less makes no difference to me.)

(I know, but not ones _nearly_ this big,) Wu replied. (It'll take your breath away, believe me.)

(Rob, come over here and take a look at these dino-mountains!) Zane then urged from farther off. (They actually make _me_ look puny!)

That piqued Muldoon's interest, and in spite of the heat, he stood up, shook his head to disperse the flies, and lumbered out of the thicket as Wu turned away.

They both jogged over a small ridge, Wu leading him to where Zane, Patience, and the others were all standing.

Curving his long neck to glance down at the Sauropelta, Zane told him, (Hey Rob. Glad you could make it to the show,) before focusing his attention back on the dinos of interest.

There was no need to ask where they were. Even from his vantage point, just three feet off the ground-lower than even his human one-Muldoon's dinosaur eyes and nose had no difficulty picking them up right away. Frankly, a person would have to have been blind not to have noticed them. And that would only have been if they'd been standing still.

The sight froze even Muldoon, who'd worked with the park's apatosaurs, triceratops, and other massive dinosaurs for over three years now, in place as he craned his spike-lined neck and tilted his head upward to fully take in their size. He was barely aware of his beaked mouth dropping open. He noticed that Patience's daggered mouth was gaping in astonishment too.

Just 250 yards away, striding towards their group at a 45 degree angle to their line of vision and to the left, were a trio of titans beyond size. Their heads, absurdly diminutive but still slightly bigger than a white rhino's, reared maybe 55, 60 feet into the air, held atop impossibly long, svelte, triangular tree trunks of necks, a good 40 feet in length. They were living cranes.

Like Zane's own cranium, while their heads looked like afterthoughts from the side, from the front it was obvious that they were actually surprisingly broad, like the blade of a shovel.

High, elegant shoulders, like those of a giraffe, sloped down at a 45 degree angle to a shorter pair of back legs, and a tail that Muldoon guessed was perhaps two dozen feet from base to tip.

Their massive bodies, covered in small, pebbly scales, were mostly a dark green-blue in color, with orange stripes on the back and upper flanks. Copper bands circled the waving tails, constantly in motion, and the green pillars of necks were ringed with dark purple and brown. A line of spiky, gray-black scales as tall as cows ran down their spines.

(These are the same kind,) Patience said in soft astonishment to Wu. (That carcass my pack and I fed from. Remember how blown away we were by its size-and then you said it wasn't even full grown?)

Wu nodded. Even he was breath-taken. (But these ones are. Just incredible, aren't they?)

(Holy heck,) Zane said, impressed. (These guys make me look like a _midget_ next to them.)

And it was true. Muldoon guessed any one of the three behemoths outweighed Zane four to one, easily.

Like elephants, although they were so huge, there was nothing ungainly or clumsy about the vast long-necks. They didn't so much stride as seem to float along, crushing plants and making the ground quiver with each step. They were kings, and carried themselves as such, softly groaning to each other.

(These are Brachiosaurus, right?) Nedry guessed.

(Oh, no,) Wu replied, shaking his long head. (They lived long before this time. Patience and I discussed that earlier in fact, and the best we could deduce is that this is a species paleontologists have yet to discover,) as one of the titans leaned forward and bit down on the branches of a monkey puzzle tree, chopping them free and then swallowing as he pulled back.

(Wait a minute,) Zane said suddenly. (I think-I think these supersized long necks are actually a type of dinosaur that was only named last year-in our time,) he amended. (We have to be looking at a trio of Sauroposeidon!)

(Sauro-what now?) Patience said in confusion, cocking her huge head to meet Zane's gaze.

( _Sauroposeidon_ ,) Zane repeated. (I read about these guys in Newsweek or something.)

(Earthquake god lizard,) Wu said reflectively. (Very appropriate.)

(Since I'm in a long-neck myself,) Zane said, (I wonder if I could talk to them? That'd be pretty cool!)

(I'm not sure they'd give you much attent-) Muldoon began.

But he was cut off when Zane opened his mouth and gave a resonating, nasal purr. (That was a greeting call,) he told them.

The reaction of the larger long-necks was immediate.

As Muldoon watched, the crane necks of all three bulls swiveled to look at their smaller cousin, and they replied with a rich, trumpeting sound that reminded him of a bull elk's bugle, an elephant's trumpet, and a French horn all rolled into one that throbbed through the humid air.

(Woo!) Zane whooped in excitement. (Now we're talking-literally! This is too cool!) He gave the purr again, and everyone just stood, marveling, as the Sauroposeidon trio uttered their majestic, commanding trumpets a second time in response.

Then, the ground slightly quaking under their treads, all three of the old bulls broke off from their path and leisurely began to stroll toward their group. Perhaps they were curious about Zane's calls, or maybe the sight of such a bizarre herd had caught their interest.

(Oh crap,) Nedry said nervously. (They're coming this way!)

(Get ready to run everyone,) Patience warned.

(I wouldn't worry,) Muldoon assured them. (These dinos are plant-eaters, remember, and they're not charging or roaring at us. Still,) he added as he looked over and up at Patience, (I'd be prepared to run if I was you, Patience. They might react poorly to having a big predator close by, even if they're far above an acro's fighting weight.)

She nodded. (I was just thinking about that too.)

But as the trio of giants moseyed over, tails in constant motion, legs swinging first on the right side of their vast bodies, then the left, front feet flexing at the wrists, and sometimes stopping to take the odd bite from a conifer's crown, they regarded Patience's acro body with the same attitude they displayed towards everything else. Imperial indifference.

They were imposing, but for some reason not one of them felt remotely scared, even as the living titans strolled by only fifty feet on their right, lowering their heads a couple stories and tilting them to peer at their odd caravan with a dark brown, dull tortoise eye before raising their crested domes back to full height and moving on, rumbling as if mulling things over.

( _Wow_ ,) Nedry said simply as he looked up at them. (They really are something.)

Patience began to thoughtfully hum some sort of tune.

(Hey, that's from Walking With Dinosaurs!) Zane commented in excitement as he glanced at the acro. (I thought you didn't watch stuff like that, Patience.)

(You kidding? Even _**I**_ wouldn't miss a show that sounded _that_ awesome.)

Even from so far below, Muldoon could smell their horsey breath, and just see the long strands of viscous saliva that hung from their mouths. Perched all over them were small pterosaurs and strange, small birds with claws at their wing joints and teeth in their beaks, sallying forth to grab any insects stirred up by the Sauroposeidon bulls, or plucking parasites from their scaly hides like oxpeckers.

A few of the birds and pterosaurs decided to jump ship then, and went over to Zane-much to the teen's consternation.

(Hey!) he said as they landed on him, shaking his fifteen-ton body. (Stop it! You guys go away, you hear? I didn't ask for a spa appointment today!)

Muldoon chuckled.

(Sorry Zane, but it looks like you're stuck with them. Don't worry though, they'll clean you up and do you good.)

(Great. Well, without arms or hands I guess there's no choice,) Zane sighed. (But they'd better watch where they put those claws,) he groused, stomping a back foot as one of the toothed birds tried to bite at the scabbed over wound on his flank. (That spot's off limits, bird buddy!)

Meanwhile, the second Sauroposeidon in line stopped and raised his tail, which became ramrod stiff.

(Eww,) Patience said in anticipation. (I've been around enough horses and cows to know where this is going…)

And indeed, from the bull's cloaca, out tumbled tawny lumps of dung, each one the size of a charcoal grill.

(Nice,) Nedry said dryly. (Now there's a magnificent touch.)

(Hey,) Zane replied laconically, (it's not like they have any bathrooms around here.)

When the long-neck's cloaca sealed shut, and he continued on in his stately way, a mound of dung was left behind the size of a shed.

(Now that is what I call the king of all shit heaps,) Nedry grunted in amazement.

They all watched the Sauroposeidon bulls moving away from them with their dignified grace for a while, seeming not so much to walk but to float along, tails unhurriedly curving in the air, the shockingly long banded necks slowly moving up and down with each stride.

One of the vast sauropods gave his droning, bugling cry a third time. Then, perhaps in response to a bird or pterosaur plucking at a small wound, he raised one of his powerful forelegs and stomped it hard.

BOOM.

The impact made the very ground quiver, rumble, and once again, even the jaded Muldoon felt his mouth drop open in pure awe. And wonder.

* * *

 **Zane.**

After their amazing, awe-inducing encounter with the trio of Sauroposeidon bulls, their group was trudging along the outskirts of a lush forest, using the shade to keep cool, drowsy from the heat, when Patience nudged him.

(Do you notice something?) she asked.

(If you're going to say 'It's quiet, too quiet,' I promise to God I'll scream like I'm in _Friday the 13_ _th_ or some other cheesy horror movie.)

Patience hesitated. (But it is, isn't it?)

Zane hated to admit it, but she was right. He quickly looked around, scanning for any sign of predators.

Snapping out of his reverie, Wu said, (Come to think of it, you have a good point Patience. Although it could be that it's just a matter of the heat making us all sluggish.) He then began to intently sniff the sultry air.

(Just as well to check though,) Muldoon said. (Leopards and cheetahs often stalk gazelles and other plains antelope when the day is at its hottest, because they've learned they become drowsy from the heat.)

Zane didn't see any trouble around though.

(Other than you, Patience, and some old acrocanth dung, I don't smell any theropods,) Wu informed them.

(Hey,) Muldoon began, as he too, began sniffing the air, (where the devil is-)

The realization hit Zane like a lightning bolt at the same instant.

( _Runt!_ ) Flicking his gaze back along both his huge flanks, Zane was startled to see that the baby astro was gone. He turned to glare at Patience and Wu. (I thought one of you was watching him!)

(With all due respect Zane,) Wu replied, slightly irritated, (I'm not a babysitter for dinosaurs. And I've always assumed he'd stay close to us, since we're his herd.)

Patience raised the long sliver of amber in her right hand.

(And I've been watching _this_ ,) she sharply replied. (Bertram said we needed it to set everything right and get home. He didn't say anything about being Runt's nursemaid.)

Zane was furious, and gave a loud grumble to let everyone know it. (You just _let him_ _run off_?)

Patience snorted and shook her head. (None of us _let_ him do anything. You weren't paying attention, either.)

(Look,) Muldoon interjected. (There's probably no reason to be too worried about Runt, Zane. We're his herd after all, his source of protection, and I'm sure he'll come back from wherever he's slipped off to in good time.)

(Well I am anyway! Last time he ran off, he nearly got killed by that male acro, Rob! And we're to blame now if he gets hurt!)

Patience flung her tiny arms upward. (Earth to Zane! He's not my problem!)

(Nor mine,) Wu added coolly. (Sorry, but it's just that way.)

Zane squeezed his eyes shut and roared as he banged his head against the trunk of a nearby sequoia in frustration.

(Listen,) Patience said, her tone a little softer. (We're heading someplace that's dangerous anyway. What were we going to do, take him all the way to Ground Zero?)

Zane saw Wu nod in agreement. (It's for the best,) the geneticist concurred. (He belongs to this time. And if he's unable or unwilling to rejoin us, there's plenty of herds of his own kind around that he can join. Just forg-)

Zane opened his eyes and gave a low rumble out across the landscape. An infrasonic contact call that he hoped Runt would hear. Then he brushed past Wu and Patience, who watched blankly, blinking, as he began sniffing, trying to detect Runt's distinctive scent.

(Oh, are you fucking serious?) she cried.

(Zane, don't,) Muldoon said levelly as the Sauropelta boldly stepped into his path, tail lashing and pawing the ground. (You are _not_ going to waste our time with this misguided escapade, you hear me!)

(I don't care. We've got to find him!)

(Why?) Patience asked.

(You're getting upset over nothing,) Muldoon said firmly. (Let's just keep walking, and he'll catch up to us within half an hour, I'm sure of it.)

(And even if he doesn't, we've got to keep things in perspective,) Wu added evenly. (If we _do_ lose him to this world, that's just the way the dice rolled, and I don't know about you, but I think we've got much more important things to care about than a juvenile sauropod.)

Zane's eyes narrowed at the words, and his tail began to lash. (He's family. I don't know if that means anything to you guys, if you can understand that or not, but he is, so we are, and that's it.)

(Don't be daft,) Muldoon snapped back. (He's family to your dinosaur _body_ , and that's it. He's a hanger-on, not your pet or cousin. I forbid you to go look for him, you hear me!)

Zane lowered his head and looked the Sauropelta in the eye. (Then make me. Or did you forget that I can literally step over you?)

Suddenly, Wu was pounding over, grinding his teeth as he stopped in front of Zane and displayed his thumb spikes before boldly planting himself broadside in front of the astrodon.

(That may be so,) he snapped forcefully, (but you're going to probably have a much harder time getting me out of your way than Rob. I don't want to be the bad cop, but I promise, I can and I will use physical discipline if you keep on being obstinate! Give it up Zane,) he warned.

His heart thundered as he looked at the defiant Iguanodon in his path, then over at Patience. He felt certain that not only was Wu not making an idle bluff, but that Patience was about to roar with rage and assist her "dad," perhaps even abandon him right there on the spot.

(You'd better listen,) Muldoon sternly agreed. (I'm sure you'd advise the same, wouldn't you Dennis?)

There was no reply.

A chill suddenly seemed to permeate the air.

(Dennis?) Wu said, his concern growing as he took his attention off Zane and began scanning for the troodontid.

(I don't see him!) Patience said as she looked around too. (And Harriet's not here either.)

(The little son of a bitch!) Muldoon yelled in fury as the realization hit him, a tuba moan emanating from his Sauropelta throat. (That bloody coward couldn't stand the idea of having to go back and face the music for his schemes, so he cut and run to go native!)

Wu said a word in Chinese that Zane didn't exactly think was polite as the Iguanodon stood erect and frantically studied the landscape. (He must've left our group at the same time Runt did,) the geneticist surmised, grinding his teeth. (And Harriet would've followed of course. What a selfish little coward.)

Patience nodded grimly. (That settles it then. I know both his scent and Runt's, too. This'll go faster if we work together.)

Wu was walking on all fours, smelling the ground.

(Got his scent,) he announced. (He and Harriet literally followed in Runt's footsteps.)

Muldoon sighed. (Time to go get our lost lambs then, I suppose. Damn it all,) he muttered. (I just hope this doesn't take too long.)

Zane was startled. (Thanks everyone. I mean-)

(Don't push it,) Patience growled as she turned away. (I'm more concerned about dragging Nedry back by the scruff of his scrawny neck.)

He didn't. Patience had made her opinion very clear when she and Mr. London had first met up with him. She didn't think he'd possibly be of use in a time of crisis. To her, he would always be an annoyance, a buffoon, not a hero.

At the time, Mr. London had to talk her into coming along, telling her that she would have to lead and protect the group-just like Will and Lance had protected Zane back at Wetherford.

But he'd noticed that something profound about Patience had changed since she and Wu had returned from retrieving the stolen key from the acro pack. She hadn't been _quite_ so hostile and unwavering as before, and both she and Wu seemed to have formed a remarkably close relationship.

Zane wished he knew what had really happened, but for now he was simply grateful that she wasn't fighting him.

(What I don't get,) Patience said as they got underway, (is if Nedry decided to run away and sulk or even go native, why would he go follow Runt when he wandered off instead of just striking out on his own?)

(Hard to know,) Wu replied. (Maybe he thought staying close to Runt would provide him with some degree of protection, or he'd eventually lead him to an astrodon herd that he could mingle with for safety.)

(Or he also might've reasoned that if he ran into a predator, Runt would present a more tempting target to go after,) Muldoon added. (Just like the goats some people in Africa will take with them on a rope whenever they travel a long way through the bush, in case they meet up with a hungry lion or leopard.)

Zane shuddered, then shook his head to drive away a glossy purple, jay-sized bird that had been poking around his left eye for ticks. It chirped in surprise, then fluttered away to perch on Wu's saw-toothed back instead.

A small, crow-sized pterosaur with large, hazel green eyes and an egg shaped head landed on Muldoon's mailed hips in a quadrupedal posture and rested briefly, then vaulted back into the air with all four feet. Swooping, it plunged down and boldly plucked a scurrying lizard from the club mosses right at Patience's feet!

As they tracked Runt, they also then smelt the pure, pleasant scent of fresh water. They'd come across plenty of streams, and pools left by the frequent cloudbursts, and Zane had lowered his high-crested head to deplete a few of them on the journey. Wu too, could drain a small pool with the best of them. There was also the river where his wound had been treated. But this scent was different.

This water was large, flowing, full of life-

A second river!

If Runt was lost and not playing, it made sense that he would be drawn to the water, where he could hide in the horsetails and other vegetation on the banks, and maybe find another long-neck herd on the shore in time. As for Nedry-who he really hoped and prayed they could convince to come back-who really knew? Maybe it was just because Runt had gone there too.

As they climbed a hill, Patience glanced at Muldoon as she said, (Well, it's going to be the moment of truth with Nedry very shortly. Any ideas on how we're going to get him back on board-and hopefully, doing it the easy way?)

The Sauropelta sighed. (I'm not exactly sure,) he admitted. (He's understandably going to be very bitter and mad right now, and he's naturally going to hate both of you in particular.)

(Yeah, cause he's as ugly as his dad,) Patience growled

(But we can all agree that force should be the last option,) Wu added. (Not that any of us could probably manage to chase him down anyway. So we'll have to try reason with him instead.)

(Maybe it would be best then if _we_ work on coaxing Runt back, while you two deal with trying to talk Nedry into getting with the program again,) Patience suggested, jerking her massive head at Zane. (Since you actually work with the guy and stuff.)

Wu nodded. (Sounds reasonable. Now we'll see if Dennis is willing to be just that,) he exhaled, shaking his head.

(Bloody hell,) Muldoon growled suddenly. (That's just wonderful. Ick.)

Glancing down, Zane saw that the Sauropelta had just placed a front foot in a mass of Runt's poop, and was scraping it off against a cycad.

(Ugh,) Patience spat in disgust. (That's a nasty surprise. Knowing him, he did that on purpose.)

(A reminder to watch where we step,) Wu said dryly.

And it was true that Runt had taken a dump right in at least one of their band's path now and again, Zane thought as he turned his attention away from the disgusted Sauropelta. Random accidents? Or done by design…

At the top of the hill, standing among lush tree ferns, cycads, and palmettos, they saw the serpentine zigzag of the river far below. It was wider than he'd expected, surrounded by palms and beds of tall horsetails. There was something at its heart-a small, three acre island that the waters flowed around. He then saw movement on that island. A python-patterned, long-necked form frolicking among a host of smaller ones…

Runt!

* * *

 **Nedry.**

The heat was stifling, and Nedry panted underneath his fluffed out feathers, Harriet closely trailing. But his troodontid instincts coaxed him to always keep alert, to be on the lookout for possible food or a predator.

And so it was that Nedry was the only one who noticed when Runt suddenly raised his head, sniffed the air curiously, and then casually split off from their band, ambling away through the segmented snake "grass," horsetails, and ferns.

Thoughtfully, he cocked his head as he watched the young long-neck go, tail gently waving. His own banded tail flicked nervously as he looked sideways at the other members of the band. The self-righteous goody-goodies. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at Zane and Patience with particular venom.

He was as mad as a wet hen about what they had done, how they'd ruined his life and reputation, turned Wu and Muldoon against him.

 _I'll show you little shits,_ he thought bitterly. _You want to smear me as a villain and a criminal, I'll gladly leave you hanging._

Steeling his resolve, he lowered his scarlet head and carefully slunk away, slipping from fern to cycad to palmetto clump. Harriet's sharp eyes of course, didn't miss his depature-frustratingly-and she also peeled away to trail her mate as he in turn trailed Runt. He couldn't try to drive her away. It wouldn't work, and would only draw attention.

Nedry decided that as irritating as she was, the prospect of having both her and Runt along as company from here on out wasn't entirely unwelcome. They wouldn't unfairly judge or heap scorn on him. And they could also warn him or serve as distractions if a dinosaur with a taste for flesh made an appearance.

When they'd moved a few hundred yards away, Harriet came up alongside him, on his left side, and cocked her black and white striped head, looking at him intently as she gave a hopeful, inquiring cluck. Then she turned and walked a few steps toward the south, the direction from which they'd all come. Looking back over her slim blue shoulder, he peered at him meaningfully, then clucked again.

(We're not going back,) Nedry spat. (Or at least, I'm not. In more ways than one,) he bristled.

He couldn't go back home. Wouldn't. What reason was there to now?

Nedry knew that even if there was a chance that they could all put their heads together at Ground Zero and use the mystical amber key as their cheat code to solve the puzzle, his entire future was toast.

He didn't care for the idea of being manhandled, handcuffed, being dragged roughly to a police launch, and then being locked up like an animal for Lord only knew how long in some hellhole of a Turd World prison until he either got a hearing in a Costa Rican court or was extradited to a somewhat less miserable prison facility in America.

He wasn't looking forward to the idea of having to explain to Dodgson-a man whom Nedry was sure didn't take kindly to his contacts dropping the ball in such a grand fashion-about how he'd not only failed his task, but was now facing jail time and a lengthy trial-a trial that BioSyn would invariably soon be embroiled in as well, raising the specter of lawsuits and sentences for both the company and its directors. Nedry had no doubt that Lew would view the possibility of paying a hefty fine and/or being locked up himself for white-collar crime about as cheerily as the idea of having to swim in a pool of cat piss and dog drool. And Nedry also had no illusions that Lew would make him pay _dearly_ if that ever came to pass.

How could he face being humiliated in prison, of being forced to stand trial in handcuffs and orange jumpsuit in front of a jury who knew nothing about how Hammond had _driven_ him to sabotage by working him like a dog, yelling at him for all the glitches the park's operating system was suffering from-even though the old SOB had told Nedry and his underlings the bare minimum of what he wanted for design-and then not forking over the wages or even praise that he was owed?!

He would have to look in the eyes of The Grand Cheap Bastard, of Wu, of Muldoon, of Arnold, all acting like they were so superior, that butter wouldn't melt in their mouth as they testified.

True, Nedry could verbally spar, needle, and counterpunch with the best of them. But he wasn't looking forward to the indignities all the same, of having the Billion Dollar Crone come visit him in prison and then piss and moan from his high horse about how "I trusted you Dennis," "I was always fair in my dealings with you, seriously Dennis," "Why did you do this to us?" Among other sanctimonious, evasive horseshit.

It ground Nedry's gears to consider that he would lose _everything_ now that he'd slaved so hard in his college classes for to attain the title of systems analyst and computer programmer, both undergraduate and graduate. His licenses and degrees would be revoked.

He'd be banned from working with computers for at least five years, he was sure. And when he _did_ get legal permission to practice his trade again as a programmer, no client with half a brain would take him on. Not with his new, unwarranted reputation for having been "tricksy" with InGen.

He flicked his long tail again, and spat in fury like a cat as he looked over his shoulder at the now distant forms of this fellow travelers.

Nedry was furious beyond words at how the not-so-little shits had squealed on him. And now, they were going to pay the price by having to stay here forever. Until they rotted.

A more rational part of Nedry told him that Patience and Zane hadn't let the cat out of the bag to get him in trouble. They'd only meant the best, done it to stop a massive disaster that would've happened later on.

And they were simply repeating what their universe's version of Michael Crichton had written. He was the one Nedry should _really_ be angry at, his rational voice told him.

This put him in a bizarre position. Was it Patience and Zane that were truly responsible for heaping this calamity on him? Or "their" Crichton for writing Nedry's plan down on paper as part of the novel? Or just fate for having it go that way?

Nedry honestly didn't know. It was all so confusing.

He frenziedly raked the dirt with his hind feet in frustration. When Dennis Nedry was confused, it simply made him even angrier. Right now, he was so angry and hurt at how Zane and Patience had betrayed him, after all he'd done, that he was determined to hurt them all in turn.

The little shits didn't understand! They didn't understand his reasons, why he'd been driven to side with Dodgson. They didn't understand what their flapping mouths had just done to his career, his reputation, his life.

In the naively idealistic fashion of all youths, they regarded him not as a varied, complex, mostly upstanding human being, but simply as a one-dimensional villain who deserved punishment. He couldn't believe that Patience had actually smugly _**gloated**_ over the horrific manner in which he would've been killed!

Well, screw her. They were all going to learn a harsh lesson, he resolved.

In his dumb, aimless manner, Runt wandered up the slope of a huge hill.

At the top, Nedry paused and looked back down at the others below and behind him. Still no sign that they'd noticed his absence or Runt's.

He hesitated briefly. This was the moment of truth. He could do a U-turn and rejoin them, or he could live boldly and continue on.

Stiffening his spine, Nedry's hackles raised as he tore his gaze away and huffed in contempt before trotting over the top.

Runt led the troodontid pair back down into a majestic valley, through which a broad river ran. Even from his lofty viewpoint, Nedry could see a big, lozenge-shaped island in its middle. On it was a rookery of some type of huge pterodactyls, big ones the size of hang gliders that had grape purple backs and wings, bright yellow shoulders, brick red necks with tawny streaks, and silver heads with sky blue beaks filled with snaggly spikes of teeth.

The beaks of the pterodactyls broadened out at their ends into structures which reminded Nedry somewhat of spoonbills he'd seen in Florida, except those of these bat-birds had depth to them too, like ice cream scoops. Small half-moon ridges of bone grew from both the top and bottom of these "spoons." Some of the pterodactyls had larger, scarlet red pairs of crests, while others had smaller, strawberry pink ones.

Littering the island were twenty-odd pterodactyl chicks, each one the size of a small goose and ginger orange in color with dark brown spots and black beaks. Like their parents, their bodies were covered in what looked like short hair, bristly and sleek.

Nedry cocked his head as he regarded the sparkling blue water. If he was going to live out the rest of his life here, he supposed there were worse places.

In the flat land around the river were many puddles and pools, surrounded by horsetails and club mosses and a sprinkling of little yellow or orange flowers. The calls of frogs resonated from their rims.

While the frogs were of only mild interest to Nedry, he still noticed that there were at least three different species calling out. One was the size of an apple, chunky and broad-bodied, orange-tan with a thick indigo stripe down the spine and chocolate brown spots, and a knocking type of call.

Another was emerald green, the size of a big hamster with orange feet and royal blue legs, spotted with yellow ochre, which made a sound like a deeper version of a fingernail being run over a comb, finishing it up with a trill.

The third were tiny creatures, only the size of acorns. Teal green in color with crimson stripes and large silver eyes, they clung to the waving stems of the horsetails, vocal sacs expanding as they produced a wind chime tinkle.

They came across a huge monitor lizard, seven feet long, its cerulean blue scales shining in the sunlight and dappled with quince yellow and dark brown. With a loud groan, Runt charged the miniature dragon out of play, sending it scurrying into a small marsh crammed with horsetails. As the trio made their way to the river proper, the young sauropod seemed to hugely enjoy splashing though the pools, making any frogs underfoot flee in frantic hops.

At the shore of the river, they stopped. All three eyed the water uncertainly, keeping a prudent distance. This river was the domain of crocodiles-Nedry could see a few places where they'd slid into the water on the other bank. If they were going to cross, he'd wait until Runt had at least taken the plunge first.

A flock of glossy brown, blue-faced birds that looked like cormorants with teeth came swimming upstream, diving and resurfacing, paddling along and sometimes emerging with a fish in their toothy beaks. As all three of them watched, nothing came out of the water to snap at or attack the birds.

Runt began to stride into the shallow water, sending turtles and frogs leaping from their perches with amusing plops. Suddenly, he noticed the pterodactyl rookery and changed course, spreading out his legs to stay balanced in the current as the sauropod waded over to the island. The parents went bananas of course, screaming like gulls and dive-bombing the astrodon calf.

Although Runt didn't seem to care, Nedry decided he didn't want any part of the pterodactyl's teeth, and plunged into the sparkling river himself. The cool water immediately soaked through his feathers and to his skin, making his muscles tense.

Harriet yelped, and waded into the water, but refused to follow as Nedry just mentally shrugged and resolutely surged forward until he was out of his depth, kicking like a duck and swinging his tail as he held his head and neck above water.

The current was stronger than he'd given it credit for, shoving hard at his fragile body and sweeping him downstream. But Nedry gamely kept at it, and soon found himself on the other bank. He splashed ashore on a sandbar and then shook himself, fluffing out his feathers.

(Whew!) he said to himself as he shook again. (Made it!)

Nedry then turned to glance at Harriet, standing uncertainly on the far bank and looking at him forlornly, peeping and yelping in agitation as she waded into the water, then retreated.

(Come on!) he urged her, flicking his head meaningfully toward the forest beyond him. (Just do like I did! If I got across, you can too.) But Harriet wouldn't budge. And Runt was obviously having too much fun chasing the pterosaur chicks to complete the crossing at the moment.

Annoyed, Nedry sighed as he walked several yards into the cycads and ferns and then sat down to rub and further shake the water from his plumage. He'd just have to wait for the two of them to get back with the program and hope the others didn't come looking in the meantime.

He decided to chance moving out into a patch of brilliant sunlight, half-closing his eyes and puffing his feathers out. A spider skittered by, and he grabbed and ate it. Disgusting to his human psyche, but to the troodontid it tasted delicious. Life back here wasn't all _that_ bad, really…

Suddenly, a sound he was hoping not to hear jerked Nedry back to attention.

(Hey buddy!)

Zane's voice.

Looking up, Nedry saw him and Patience walking over the crest of the hill, Wu and Muldoon behind them.

Oh no.

Turning away, Nedry carefully tried to slink away unseen, keeping veiled among the fronds of the ferns. But to no avail.

A single low growl. Patience.

(Don't even try it Dennis!) she shouted. (I already saw you trying to be the little sneak that you are from a mile away. Your ass is busted!)

* * *

 **Zane.**

(I guess it was too much to hope for that you wouldn't realize I'd gone,) Nedry grumbled angrily as he revealed himself, walking back to the far shore as Zane lumbered down into the river valley.

(Come back over here Dennis,) Muldoon commanded. (Now.)

(Come make me!) Nedry taunted. (And by the way Spikes, you should really work on the manners. Ordering people around without saying please is rude, you know.)

(And going AWOL at a time like this in an attempt to leave us all stranded back here is somehow a shining example of politeness?) Patience snapped.

(Oh, up yours and kiss mine!) Nedry spat.

(You little-) Patience growled as she began to surge forward.

But in a flash, Wu was blocking her path.

(Don't Patience,) he urged, rearing up and raising his Fonzie hands. (He's trying to bait you. Don't give him the satisfaction.)

(Come get me!) Nedry taunted. (Drag me back!)

(Bloody hell Dennis, why are you doing this? Stop acting so petty!) Muldoon said.

(Because these little shits,) Nedry hissed as Zane gasped, (have just ruined my future and my life by letting the cat out of the bag-)

(We did it to prevent a disaster from going down and save your life too!) Zane yelled. (Don't make us into villains!)

(And you two,) he snapped bitterly as he balefully switched his gaze to Wu and Muldoon, (immediately jumped down my throat when you heard the news, never showing sympathy for why I did it, behaving like the two of you are so much _**purer**_ and more noble than me, who's suddenly the "black sheep" of our band-even though I found and got the amber key for you _ungrateful_ dicks," he hissed.

(None of us think we're purer than you Dennis,) Wu replied. (And we're immensely grateful that you found the key f-)

But Nedry wouldn't be placated as he yelled in fury, (Well, screw all of you! You're all gonna learn today that squealing on someone, getting them in trouble, smearing them, has consequences!)

(Don't!) Zane shouted in horror, starting to run as Nedry whipped around and darted away.

(Get back here!) Patience roared in fury.

(Dennis, please,) Wu begged levelly. (Patience and Zane only meant the best. Don't punish them like this!)

(Nedry, just come back and talk!) Muldoon shouted. (At least just talk to us and try to be reasonable!)

Their pleas brought Nedry up short.

Stopping, he looked over his shoulder, slowly.

Then, to Zane's great relief and cautious hope, he turned completely around and slowly walked back to the far bank.

(Okay,) the troodontid said coolly. (We can do that, I suppose. Not that it'll change my decision,) he added. (I'm just doing it because it'll be great fun watching you sanctimonious, overgrown lizards beg and plead like whiny kids, mind you. And at least you'll maybe actually be able to see things my way, at least a little.)

(For what it's worth,) Wu said carefully, (I know that I can certainly understand why you went over to BioSyn. After all, Hammond has been putting you under intense pressure to perform, while not giving you a respectable wage for your efforts-)

(Ah, now this is more like it,) Nedry sighed in a sort of sick pleasure. (Continue on, Henry.)

(It's not right or just,) Muldoon agreed. (But Dennis, be reasonable. Do you truly want to live out the rest of your days in this time? In this body?)

(Better than being whisked away to a jail cell and then having my reputation and career forever tarnished,) Nedry hissed.

(But that would only happen if you were actually placed under arrest,) Wu calmly pointed out. (While I'm afraid I can't let you take any of the embryos, Muldoon and I promise that we'll pretend that nothing is amiss when we get back. Won't we Rob?) he asked meaningfully as he glanced at the Sauropelta.

(Lips sealed,) Muldoon agreed. (No harm, no foul.)

Zane nodded. (And you can cover yourself by canceling the drop off with Dodgson's man. Explain to him that you couldn't do it because of the storm, and there was also a tour going on at the time. It wouldn't be a lie.)

(Yeah,) Patience agreed. (Then later, you'd tell him that you felt some of the other staff had become "suspicious" of you, so you had no other choice but to part w-)

The way the feathers on Nedry's spine rose immediately told Zane that Patience's suggestion was something he really didn't like hearing.

His tone was clipped and hateful as he replied, (And miss out on perhaps as much as ten million dollars. How much of a fucking _**imbecile**_ do you pea brains take me for, to let a chance like that slip away? Please don't insult my fucking intelligence!)

(Dennis,) Wu cut in, (if it's the money you want, I guarantee that I'll give you at least two-thirds of every paycheck I receive from InGen for as long of a period of time as you want. All you have to do is swim back over here. I give you my word.)

(Damn,) Patience replied in amazement, her eyes widening. (Talk about an offer on a silver platter. That's as good as I'd say it gets Nedry.)

The troodontid exploded.

( _Shut up you little shits_!) he ranted and screamed. (This is **all your goddamn fault**! Get out of here! I don't want to _**look**_ at the two of you, and I don't want to _**talk**_ to the two of you either!)

(Are you willing to still keep talking with Henry and I though?) Muldoon said warily, neutrally. (What you're intending to do is frankly, both highly dangerous and daft, and you're much better off sticking to the plan.)

(Yes,) Nedry acquiesced as he once again gave Zane and Patience a burning, bird of prey gaze. (But not with these two. I don't want to _even see_ them, I'm so pissed right now!)

Wu exhaled, nodding, then turned to Zane and Patience.

(Sorry you two,) he said, (but it looks like Nedry's in no mood to have you around, so it'd be best if you cleared out for a while and let him calm down a bit while Rob and I try as best we can to get him to swim back over here.)

Zane nodded. So did Patience.

(Come on,) he told the acro as he turned away, jerking his head towards the nearby island. (Let's go get Runt.)

Sixteen huge pterosaurs were circling above the island, screeching and diving at Runt. Then some veered in Zane's direction.

(I wonder if one of them will land on me too, like the smaller ones?) Zane said in excitement. (That would be too awesome!)

(Can we just get Runt, wait for Henry and Rob to talk Nedry into behaving like an adult again, and then go?) Patience grumbled. (Little shits,) she snarled. (When he gets back on this side of the river, I'll show _him_ who's a little sh-)

(Shake it off, okay? Just look at how beautiful these guys are!) Zane said as seven of the pterodactyls circled like living kites two hundred feet above them. (You've gotta admit, this is pretty dang cool.)

(I'm reminded of chicken wings myself.)

From further away, Zane could just hear Nedry going on a verbal tirade with Muldoon and Wu, spitting out various insults in reference to both teens.

But Zane refused to let either Nedry's or Patience's bad attitude ruin this enchanting experience for him. He just marveled at the pterodactyls for a time before he went closer to the island. Then four of the group above them peeled away, banked-and started heading right for him.

Up close, they didn't look like the other pterosaurs he'd seen either.

These ones had long, ugly beaks with weird, round bowls as the ends of their jaws. Crooked, nasty spikes of teeth angled out of their beaks, and their great pale tan eyes blazed with fury. Their furry wings whipped and flapped as they poured on more speed, becoming streaking, screaming purple and yellow and turquoise blurs of motion. And teeth.

They were going right for his head! Just like the ones in the aviary had gone for Grant and Lex!

(Yaahhh!) Zane cried, ducking.

With his incredible panoramic vision, he saw the living, breathing stealth bombers dive down at his flanks, jaws cracking open to rake his scaly sides with their teeth.

Zane whipped his tail and moaned-

CRRRRAACCKKKKK!

And the startled pterodactyls broke away, yelling like huge blue jays as they zipped to a higher altitude.

(What is your problem?) Zane shouted.

(Good question,) Patience said shakily. Even she looked a little unnerved, quills on end. But that was probably because of his tail crack. The sound scared her inner acro.

(Are you two okay?!) Muldoon cried in sudden concern.

(I thought they'd attack them, just like the ceredactyls.) Wu talking.

(Everything under control Rob!) Zane shouted back, trying to seem at least halfway confident.

(We're managing!) Patience added. (No worries about us!)

The pterodactyls gave their glassy screams and came around for another strafing attempt.

(Zane, Patience, _do you need help_?!) Wu asked in evident concern.

But this time both Zane and Patience stood their ground and roared at them. The hairy fliers kept screaming, but jerked aside and made wide arcs around the pair. The smaller pterosaurs and birds on Zane's back had already fled in terror.

(We're holding our own!) Patience confidently replied.

They walked closer to the island, Zane pausing briefly to look at the forms of Muldoon and Wu several hundred yards on his left. Still in their little peace talk with Nedry, who was still perched on the far bank and from his tense posture, still ready to split at any moment.

He wanted to help Nedry see just how selfish and foolish he was being by trying to ditch them. But Zane knew he wasn't welcome right now, and Nedry's loathing for him and Patience would just make things worse.

He directed his attention back to Runt, being dive-bombed by the pterosaurs. The young sauropod was trotting around the island, stepping on cream-colored eggshells that were soft and pliable in form, like a turtle's, stumbling in nest pits, and playfully chasing the snow goose sized pterosaur hatchlings around, which hopped about on all four limbs like toads or fluttered short distances like chickens. Zane was amazed at how, unlike birds, which used their hip muscles and legs to launch themselves from the ground, the young pterosaurs used their shoulders instead to propel themselves into the air, using the long bones in their arms and the single sturdy wing finger like catapults!

(They're chicks. Too small yet to really fly,) Patience commented. (They must be, or else they'd have gotten away from Runt by now.)

(Looks like it's a rookery. You know, maternity ward and day care for baby birds. Even though they're not actually birds,) Zane amended. (The adults can take to the air to avoid danger. But not the babies. All they have is the deep water around the island for protection.)

(Against what? If Runt could get over there, then an acrocanth like me could do it too, and then feast on pterosaur drumsticks.)

(Something smaller, I guess,) Zane surmised. (Maybe small mammals that'd eat their eggs, or monitor lizards. Or maybe the Microvenators that were after Daisy.)

(Makes sense.)

Zane watched as the baby astrodon lowered his head close to a weird-looking, big-eyed chick as it cowered against the sand, then pulled away. He did it several more times, lightly stomping his front feet for emphasis.

 _I'm not touching you,_ Runt seemed to be teasing, his mouth slack in what seemed almost like a smug grin.

(Great,) Patience snorted in annoyance. (He learns from the best.)

(What?)

(Don't play dumb Zane. You were doing that to me and Mr. London yesterday.)

(Oh yeah.)

Suddenly, Zane thought he caught a new scent on the breeze. Something that heralded a predator nearby. He tensed, and scanned the area.

But there was nothing wrong that he could see. The only other signs of dinosaurs of any kind were the gentle, knocking infrasonic calls he felt through the soles of his feet, coming from a half-dozen astrodon bulls a mile and a half to the east. Most likely just a couple Microvenators at worst, he surmised, dismissing it.

Well, if they were lurking about, most of their dinosaur bodies were far too big to even consider attacking. Nedry and Harriet could run from them all day long, and any Microvenators who had a go at Muldoon would quickly get speared, tail-whipped, or have a pretty hard time getting through that pebbly armor. He pictured a half-dozen Mr. Londons hanging onto the Sauropelta, scratching and gnawing and just getting absolutely nowhere as the game ranger simply calmly stood still, utterly bored and unconcerned by it all. He had to force back a laugh.

(Yo, little buddy!) Zane called. (Time to get going. Come on back now!)

Runt raised his head and looked at his older brother briefly, then ignored him.

(Guess you'll just have to go over there and get him,) Patience said simply.

Zane looked at the rushing water. He suddenly felt very apprehensive. (Why do I have to do it?)

(I'd terrify the chicks,) Patience replied. (They'd probably dive into the river and get carried downstream. And Wu and Muldoon are occupied with slightly more important things right now.)

Zane remembered the sharks, crocodiles, and other water predators he'd seen in the water near the shore, where he'd first "landed" in the early Cretaceous. He suddenly realized he was waving his tail about, and shifting his fifteen tons from one leg to the other, like he was trying to get a hall pass.

He was a complete wuss, and he knew it.

He also despised that aspect of himself fiercely.

(Fine,) he grunted to no one in particular. (I'm going in.)

He took a deep breath, then waded in on his pillars of legs. The current was strong, worse than he'd expected. But he could still get across without difficulty.

Then, to his shock, he saw to his shock that the island was shrinking. Its outer edges were being slowly but surely swallowed up by the river, leaving an increasingly smaller ring at the center.

All the hatchlings were grouped there now.

Glancing up, he saw masses of churning water coming through the area from upstream. The storms might have ended here, but far to the northeast of where they stood, there were many large hills, veiled and shadowed by clouds and rain. There, the rains were still pelting down.

And all that rainwater would be coming their way. Soon.

He heard Wu urge, (Dennis, there's a flood coming. If you're going to rejoin us, you'd better do it fast, while it's still safe to swim across!)

(Actually, I think maybe I'll stay on this side,) Nedry sneered. (A river in flood should keep you clowns right where you are for a good long while I run off into the sunset. Hasta la vista, pricks!)

(So be it,) Muldoon said in fury. (Patience, chase him down and drag him back, by any means necessary!)

Patience didn't move. She didn't even reply. But she gave a single low growl, and the screams of the pterosaurs reached a new pitch of hysteria.

Zane glanced back-and froze.

A duo of small, stiff-tailed dinosaurs raced towards Patience, circling around her. They were covered almost entirely in feathers, colored in patches of black, white, yellow ochre, and tan, with a blue-green strip running down their backs and dark brown circles around their crocodile eyes. Their tails were banded with black and white, ending in carrot orange "fans" of feathers. They were about the size of mountain lions. A curved sickle of a claw rose from each U-shaped foot.

(Raptors!) Wu suddenly shouted. (Behind you Nedry!)

Tearing his gaze away from the raptors on his side-he knew there was no way in the world they'd even _consider_ going after giants like Patience or him-Zane had just enough time to see a trio of raptors on the far shore fanning out and rushing at Nedry. Springing a trap.

(Dennis, _run_!) Zane shouted. (You've got raptors coming for you!)

Then things happened very fast.

* * *

 **Nedry**.

Nedry's first thought was that Wu and Zane were lying, a desperate, stupid, last-ditch attempt to stop him as he stalked off into the vegetation.

(Dennis, get out of it, unless you want to be bloody slaughtered!) Muldoon roared.

 _Yeah right,_ Nedry mentally scoffed as he walked further away. It was only when Harriet began barking in sudden terror, and he heard a fast moving rustle coming from off his right side, the vegetation hissing and waving, that he began to feel that maybe there _was_ something to their frantic warnings.

It was time to get out of here!

He bolted in the nick of time, running in the general direction of Patience and Zane. Five seconds later, a female Deinonychus, 140 pounds of muscle, hooked teeth, and slashing claws, erupted out of the ferns and conifer bushes, landing right on the spot where he'd been standing.

She pursued, and Nedry found himself running for his life before her, yelling, the female raptor's hissing breath just a dozen yards behind him! Panic overwhelmed him, and he forgot about trying to swim the river to his companions, or just thinking rationally at all. He gave himself up to his troodont instincts, and curved away from the river, against which the raptors could trap him, splashing through puddles and dodging about as the raptor chased him. She was gaining!

He was only dimly aware of Patience crashing into the water as he did another hairpin turn to try to throw her off. But the raptor didn't miss a beat.

As the others yelled and bellowed, he heard, to his increasing terror, the raptor closing the gap. He dodged again, but she matched him.

In a flash, she was on him, leaping into the air like a bouncy ball. Nedry saw her shadow arcing over him.

Thinking quickly, he hit the brakes and crouched down even as he squealed in terror, using the raptor's momentum against her as she passed overhead and landed on her feet, facing away from him.

By the time she'd turned around and was back up to speed, his troodontid legs had once more put some distance between them. But not enough.

(Run over there Dennis, to your right!) Wu urged. (Run to where Patience is going to be, on your side of the river!)

Nedry tried to do just that, racing for where the acro's immense, forward-tilted body was fording the river at an angle towards him, the churning water up to her chest. But then a second, even bigger raptor was right _there_ , leaping at him from the right, his sickle claws bared and black arm-wings outstretched like some fallen angel's, clawed hands eager to snatch and pierce.

Nedry had no choice but to double back, then race away from the river. As he panted, he desperately racked his brain, looking for any way he could buy himself time until Patience arrived.

There were some tall conifers just ahead, and Nedry ran to the nearest one.

The troodont in him knew what to do.

Whipping around to the other side of the trunk, he leapt, and dug the claws of all four limbs into the resinous bark, using his own sickle claws like a lineman's spikes to push his body higher and higher.

When he'd gotten high enough that Nedry didn't think the raptors could get him by leaping, he paused on the base of a bough, and glanced down.

To his utter horror, he saw that what his body could do, those of the two raptors could as well.

The female raptor had already jumped to embrace the trunk with her arms, and was clawing her way up it towards him, yellow eyes burning into his soul as her jaws cracked open.

As her partner did the same, Nedry immediately climbed even higher, then ran out as far onto a thick branch as he could go without falling, grasping the limb with his toes and waving his tail for balance, crouching low as he turned to face the trunk.

(Hang on Dennis!) Patience cried as the juggernaut raced toward him.

He did, even as the leopard-sized raptor made her way out onto the branch too, making no sound as her mouth opened in anticipation, eyes blazing as her hands reached out to try to hook him with her claws.

Nedry felt the feathers on his back rise as he hissed and screeched, snapping and swiping with his own tridents of hands in a wild attempt to ward her off.

She growled, and came closer.

Suddenly, to his utter horror, Nedry felt his body lose its balance and tilt sideways! He clawed, but was unable to regain purchase as gravity took over.

He fell forty-five feet, flailing as he watched the ground rush up at him with a startled yelp.

Nedry landed squarely on a cycad, which he then used as a springboard to launch himself from and get back to running. Behind him, he heard both raptors leap to the ground as well. The chase was back on.

He was tiring now. Soon they'd catch him!

Spying an uprooted, hollow tree close by, he dodged again, and tore for its shelter, zipping into the dark, musty-smelling, damp bole. There was just enough space for him to turn around and crouch down as the female raptor arrived, shoving her head and neck in up to the shoulders, the claws of her inward-facing hands gouging and scratching away chunks of wood in alternate succession.

He was trapped! But Nedry wouldn't go down without a fight first.

Once more, he boldly lunged at the growling raptor from his alcove, trying to make her back off by hissing and slashing with his hooked claws.

But the werewolf-hawk from hell only gave a terrible, deeper hiss of her own, and continued to tear away the rotting wood, working her body in further, closer, as her partner began to work his way inside from above…

And then, when all seemed lost, a mighty pounding of feet. A sky-splitting, mind-boggling roar! Patience's roar!

Just a few minutes ago, Nedry had hated her as intensely as a person could hate anything. Now his feelings and opinion towards her did a half turn as both raptors suddenly barked in surprise. He heard the male leaping off the log as the female, just a foot away from grabbing him, frantically went into reverse gear and backed out, turning away and bolting just in time to avoid a kick from Patience. The acro sped them along with a roar.

(They've backed off Dennis,) she announced in his head. (It's safe to come out now.)

Carefully, Nedry did just that, blinking as he emerged back into the sun and stood up, shaking bits of rotten wood out of his feathers as he sheepishly gazed up at the acro's intense eyes.

(You change your mind about trying to go it alone?)

Shaky with relief and gratitude, Nedry puffed out, (After this lovely experience, I'm never leaving your sides again! I'd far rather face Dodgson or a jail cell any day of the week over that,) he shuddered, lowering his head.

(And are you sorry now that you called both us and your colleagues nasty names?)

(Profusely,) Nedry said in embarrassment. Then, not quite knowing why he was doing it, he went up to Patience's right leg and actually gave it a heartfelt hug, saying simply, (Thanks a lot miss. I owe you one big time.)

(You're welcome. Even though you did kind of get yourself into it. But now let's get back to the other side before the sailing conditions get any nastier.)

(Agreed.)

* * *

 **Zane.**

Standing like a stone bridge in the current, Zane felt like he could breathe again at last as Patience, with Nedry clinging to her nape like a baby monkey, smoothly waded back into the froth. The programmer was finally safe.

 _Okay, okay, we're doing good, we're all fine, we're-_

But the raptors Nedry had evaded on the other shore hadn't left. They were still there. Waiting.

Now their eyes were expectantly locked on the pterosaur chicks. And on Runt.

Zane continued to slog through the rising water, knowing that if he slipped, he was in major trouble. He was close to the island when the raptors on the shore began barking and squealing, racing around in anxious, expectant circles.

It had been scary enough when the Deinonychus had just been standing there, eyes glaring, and then chasing after Nedry. Now they were frantic, frenzied blurs of motion, trying to anticipate where Runt or the chicks would come ashore, and it was becoming a lot harder for Zane to resist clamming up from utter terror. His astrodon mind wasn't concerned. They were nothing to him.

But Zane's own mind couldn't help but feel differently.

(Leave them Zane!) Wu urged. (We've got Nedry back, and it's too dangerous now!)

(Don't risk your life over a bunch of bloody pterodactyls!) Muldoon yelled.

But Zane couldn't do such a thing. He had no choice, despite the fear and the danger. Runt needed him. The river was flooding, and soon the pterosaur rookery would be completely submerged-the helpless chicks swept downriver and either drowned or eaten by predators-unless he somehow got them to safety first.

 _Yeah, safety. That's real likely,_ thought Zane. This whole place had suddenly become Deinonychus Central!

The scene around him was full of lush, gorgeous colors. The deep blue of the sky, the white of a few clouds, the rich gold of the sun's rays, the deep green of the trees and the neon greens of the ferns, the soft tan and white sands of the shore, the sparkling river, and the variegated plumage of the raptors.

It was all breathtakingly stunning. And all the more terrible because of the danger all around them.

Above him, the adults swooped, flapping their wings about him like tents in a gale as they screamed like banshees.

(Come on! Do something!) Zane yelled at them in frustration. (They're _your_ kids!)

(Our point exactly!) Nedry shouted from behind him. (What happens to those frigging mutant bats isn't our problem!)

Just then, a big male pterosaur sailed down and circled just above Zane's head. His immense, flapping furry wings were framed from behind by sunlight, and Zane was able to appreciate how lightly built and fragile these creatures really were.

They had hollow bones and webbed feet. Unlike the pterodactyls he'd seen in cartoons and old movies like King Kong, their feet were structured basically like those of a person or a bear, with the entire sole touching the ground and all five toes facing the same direction. They couldn't grasp anything with feet like that. There was no way that the pterosaurs had the strength or even ability to lift their young and fly away with them.

He turned to look at the chicks huddled at the center of the island.

Runt stood in front of them, shading the squawking, hopping cluster with his car-sized bulk as he looked at Zane. He didn't appear to be all that afraid.

 _Behold the happy moron, he doesn't give a damn…_

Zane plodded forward and stepped up onto the dry ground. There wasn't a lot of room for him.

Runt gave a slurred toot of greeting, pupils dilating in pleasure.

Now what?

(Zane, it's not safe!) Patience shouted. (We've got to get out of this place pronto!)

(Listen to her for Christ's sake!) Wu shouted.

He moved his head slightly to the left. All the others were standing on the bank across from him, clearly beyond stressed as they stomped their feet and pawed the ground, eyes wide. Wu looked ready to jump in and force him back himself.

Suddenly, Zane had an idea.

He looked to the far shore, where the three raptors were eagerly waiting. He concentrated and allowed his imagination to cut loose.

An entire herd of young Iguanodons, each the size of a white rhino, appeared behind the trio of raptors. They made a great fuss of distress calls, their smell rich and overpowering, even from where Zane stood. And every one of the spiked thumbs had been transformed into a round, harmless little bump.

The raptor trio wheeled and chased after the mental projections. The fake Iguanodons got up on their hind legs and fled southward with astounding speed. In seconds, the raptors were zooming after them like darts. The young Iggies charged into the forest and the raptors followed.

(Um, Zane?) Muldoon began from behind him. (You might make a better job of your conj-)

But the ranger was cut off by Wu splashing into the water as he said, (Nice work. Now let's get all this over with and be back on our way.)

Zane had another idea. He laid down and sent a "suggestion" into the minds of the adults circling and swooping above. They hesitantly landed on all fours, flapping their purple wings, and softly grunting, coaxed their hopping chicks onto his neck and shoulders. He felt a mild tickling from their claws and the warmth of their bodies as the junior flight squadron climbed aboard and settled into place, then stood up as Wu arrived, stomping all four feet in irritation.

(Looks like your mission of mercy was successful,) he said, voice clipped. (Are you ready to actually get on the move again at last?) he asked pointedly in exasperation. Zane inwardly cringed at his tone, but meekly nodded.

(Let's go. And Runt, we'll play later,) he told the calf sternly.

(Much later,) Wu concurred as he ground his teeth and Zane strode back into the rising river. Wu then used his thumb spikes to gently but firmly goad a reluctant Runt into the water. The young astrodon soon found himself out of his depth, the current starting to sweep him away, and moaned in fear-but Zane backed up so that Runt soon found himself being pressed up against his left flank, safe and secure. The crossing was difficult, but Zane kept both his balance and concentration as Wu followed just behind. Soon, they were all on the shore. Zane laid down, lowered his head, and the little pterosaurs all disembarked, leaping away like frogs.

(Hope you enjoyed your trip. Your movies today were _Iggies A Go-Go_ , _Chasing The Troodont_ , or _Runaway Raptors_! We hope to provide you with more entertainment from Zane McInerey Productions and Rescue Services.)

Zane was still shaken, but he'd kept the images and the scents of the Iguanodons fixed firmly in his mind. Wu's smaller doppelgangers were still running and running, and they wouldn't stop or vanish until he went to sleep tonight.

Runt, Nedry, and the chicks were all safe. Their group was complete once more. They'd done it!

(Well, now that that's all over…) Nedry commented.

(Looks like you got them out in the nick of time,) Wu suddenly said, still standing in the shallow water.

Zane glanced back to see the rising water flow over the rookery, sweeping the torn eggshells out with the current, little chunks of white racing over the surface. Patience was approaching him. She looked impressed.

As they all began to move away from the water, Zane winked at her. (So who said I wasn't the brains of this outfit, huh?) he asked smugly. (Nice work on saving Nedry, by the way,) he added.

Suddenly, Runt gave a trumpeting yell of alarm.

Turning, Zane stiffened as he saw that the raptors-six of them now-were back, three of the variegated blurs of feathers and claws racing back at them from upriver, on their bank.

( _Jesus Christ_!) Nedry yelled as he ran to Muldoon and leapt on his back. (Don't let them get me Rob!)

(We won't.)

Harriet simply bolted inland, stopping and tensely watching when she'd put enough distance, clucking in alarm.

Zane was shocked. It didn't make sense! What about the decoy Iggies? His illusion was still running-fresh, appealing odors and all! The decoys were still panicked and racing and-

(As I was trying to tell you,) Muldoon spoke, (you really should've had those fake Iguanodons have some mass and be affecting their environment too.)

Zane understood his mistake. It should've been so obvious. They were also moving right through anything in their path like the ghostly, unreal things they truly were. And even the raptors could figure out a hoax that obvious.

(No,) Zane whispered, crestfallen. He lashed his tail instinctively. (No…)

The raptors would come for Runt. He'd seen raptors at work in movies-like Jurassic Park, in an irony that was both profoundly funny ha-ha and funny weird, given that three of the actual characters from the book version were with him right now-and documentaries from the video rental place. He knew what they could and _would_ do to a slow-moving, manageable target like Runt, how quickly they could deal out such terrible wounds. And also that they'd give some to him too if he got in their way.

Runt got behind him, pressing against his right leg as he bugled again at the raptors. Zane shoved him away, then cracked his tail once more.

CRRRR-RRRAACCCCKKK!

The appalling sound made everyone jerk back, including the raptors, which veered away and raced off into the forest, frightened by the sound as the pterodactyls fled with their galloping, fluttering chicks in tow. But Zane knew the trio would be back.

(Let's get out of here while the getting's still good!) Muldoon commanded, switching to a trot. (Just because I'm covered in spikes and armor doesn't mean I'm suddenly all right with having savage raptors in my personal space,) he muttered.

But Zane couldn't move. His fear consumed him, and it was overwhelming.

(Zane, you did great,) Wu assured him. (Now get moving!) he ordered, shoving at Zane's flank with his shoulder.

Zane dumbly began plodding along. Then the raptors reappeared. Zane groaned in aggression, and kicked sand in their direction. Then he ran! Wu joined him.

But Runt was falling behind!

(No Zane!) Wu ordered. (You've wasted enough of our precious time already by saving the blasted pterosaur chicks,) he growled as he got in front of Zane and shoved his entire weight against his forelegs. (Stop treating everything here like they're your pets, because they're just animals, you get that!)

Zane was shocked for an instant. Then he roared in fury, actually knocking Wu off balance as Patience gasped before lowering his head and telling the geneticist, his voice seething with contempt and a measured anger as he growled, (I'd expect nothing less from a person who suggested to his boss that they should have hundreds of perfectly healthy, innocent dinosaurs senselessly murdered, all just because they were too dynamic and active for visitor's expectations-not to mention how many you must've put to sleep in the lab because they committed the _**sin**_ of not looking or acting right.)

He saw Wu's beak drop open, and he briefly looked like he'd been punched as Zane turned away.

(Zane!) Patience cried in shock as Wu then began to grind his teeth. (That was totally uncalled for, you jerk!)

Zane knew he'd crossed a line, but he didn't care. He felt it was something Wu needed to hear.

The Iguanodon suddenly roared in equal ire.

(How dare you!) Wu bellowed. (You think I go and put down or suggested putting down those dinosaurs-dinosaurs that my technicians and I sweated and toiled and broke our backs to create-out of some twisted desire to kill or be cruel?! Well, guess what? If you think I _ever_ take it lightly, you're deeply misled Zane! Deeply!)

He then started loudly cussing Zane out in Chinese, reminding the teen of how Ricky Ricardo always went full Cuban Spanish whenever he was mad on _I Love Lucy_.

But Zane didn't reply as he ran up to Runt and stood his ground.

The onrushing raptors paused at his arrival. Then they hissed, and got back to business.

Zane couldn't control it any longer. The fear took over, paralyzing him.

 _They're gonna get us, they're gonna get us!_ His mind chanted.

The raptors were going to go through him to get at Runt. They came at him from the front, the left, the right, and he could only shrink down and clench his eyes shut!

 _Zane, honey, you've got the power!_ The Psychic Friends Network hollered from inside him. _Use it stupid! Think!_

But he couldn't think of anything. He stamped his feet and bugled and groaned in fear, blubbering and yelling and waiting for the pain to start!

But no pain came.

Instead, he heard Wu snap (Oh, for God's sake, you sniveling coward.) Then a crackling sound and a pained screech. A growling grunt of exertion. A thud, two dwindling sets of pained howls, and a soft, wet sound he couldn't place.

(At least he didn't put a blankie over his head this time,) Patience sneered dryly.

Zane cautiously opened his eyes, blinking. He saw one of the raptors racing away like a scalded cat, smoke rising from its dappled flank, while another was being swept downstream.

The third had been driven like a peg into the wet sand! He was buried up to his biting, weaving, hissing, and very confused head.

Runt stood just behind, his entire chest covered in wet brown sand.

(Wu gave one of the raptors a psychic zap of electricity while you were cowering,) Patience explained. (I tossed a couple boulders and knocked the second into the river. Wu and Runt teamed up on the final one.)

Muldoon nodded. (He gave the bastard a shock, then Runt literally fell on him like an elephant. Squished him down into the sand.)

Zane walked back towards them as Patience cocked her head and looked at the bold baby astrodon. (You know kid, you've got possibilities.)

Muldoon laughed in agreement. (He's a brave little scamp, that's for certain!)

Zane hung his head as he thought about the first time Patience and the others had seen him here, in the age of dinosaurs. He'd been running from a male acrocanth, with a conjured illusion of his childhood "blankie" draped over him.

He'd looked pitiful and pathetic then, and he felt the same way now.

(Hey, you _could_ say thank you,) Patience drawled at Zane. (We did just step in and take the trouble to save Runt's butt when you couldn't find the spine to do it.)

Zane looked over at the pterosaurs, whose chicks he'd saved from the flood, flying and hopping away in the distance. He was confident that in just a day or two, the babies would be able to fly strongly and join their parents in the air.

 _Not one mention of that_ , thought Zane morosely. _Nothing._

(Thanks a lot,) he told them, turning away.

(Same here,) Nedry added as he looked at Patience and then fell into step alongside her.

(Now that this entire farce is over at last,) Muldoon grumbled, (let's get the bloody hell out of here before anything else happens or any more time is pissed away on _rescues_.) The words made Zane wince.

They walked for a few seconds. Then Wu, his pupils contracted in irritation-clearly, Zane's words had touched a nerve-abruptly came to a halt and broke away to speed walk over to a shallow pool, which he lowered his muzzle to and began to drink from.

(You guys go on,) he told them huskily. (This won't take long, and I'll catch up in a minute.)

Patience just nodded, and they went on their way, Zane holding his head low as he brooded. He'd really made an ass of himself just now.

Then, he was snapped out of his mopey stupor as he suddenly heard a loud, gurgling roar from upstream. A whooshing, chuckling noise that he couldn't identify. Coming their way.

They all stopped, puzzled.

(Do you hear that?) Patience said, cocking her head.

Zane apathetically nodded. So did Nedry.

(What coul-) the programmer began.

Muldoon, meanwhile, was continuing to listen intently. Suddenly his pupils dilated, and he broke into a stiff-legged run as he shouted, (Bloody Christ, it's a flash flood! Run as fast as your legs can carry you, and don't stop for anything!)

Fear once again gripped Zane as he said (Oh God…) and broke into a lumbering run.

He glanced behind him, and saw Wu jerking his body back up into a bipedal stance, three-toed feet squelching in the wet, muddy earth as he raced towards them.

Right then, from around a hill, spreading out over the banks, came the flash flood, a surging, churning, white-capped mass of chocolate brown water filled with tumbling logs and branches-even other dinosaurs! It was like a runaway train, with the sheer power and terrifying speed with which it leapt forward. Zane guessed there must've been some natural dam or levee far upstream, perhaps a logjam, against which the water had built up and built up-until the pressure had made it burst.

Even as she ran for her own life for higher ground, Patience briefly cocked her head to glance back over her shoulder as she roared, ( _Henry_ , _**run**_!)

Wu was doing his best, Zane could see. But he'd gotten a late start.

And then, the churning wall of brown water was right _there_ , in their part of the valley!

The good news was that the part of the flood that hit Zane and the others was shallow, only two feet deep as it swirled around their feet-and they were already going up an incline, both Nedry and Harriet easily evading the surge to dart uphill to safety.

The bad news was that Wu wasn't nearly as fortunate. With the sickening sense of inevitability and helplessness that he might've had watching a dog or child run out in front of a car, Zane could only watch and trumpet in alarm as the force of the flood smashed into the Iguanodon bull's body broadside, sending the three and a half ton animal sprawling, tumbling as he bellowed in distress. The churning mass overwhelmed his struggling form, sweeping the geneticist off his three-toed feet as Patience shrieked, (NO! _Henry, no_!)

And then Henry Wu was carried away, disappearing into the brown torrent.

* * *

 **Uh-oh, is this the end for Henry Wu? I know Patience will definitely be sweating...**

 **When Scott Ciencin wrote the Dinoverse series at the tail end of the 1990's, how exactly pterosaurs reproduced was a long-standing, vexing riddle for paleontologists, even though pterosaur fossils had been studied and excavated for at least 150 years. For all that time, there was no concrete evidence to go on about the beginnings of pterosaur's lives. It stood to reason that being reptiles, they laid eggs of course. But where? Did they make nests like birds? That would make sense. But were they built on cliffs? In trees? On the ground? Maybe nesting habits were every bit as varied as birds today. Were they hard-shelled like the eggs of other archosaurs, birds and crocodiles? That too, seemed reasonable. But when it came down to brass tacks, we were in the dark.**

 **And then, in 2004, scientists got an answer at long last, when the fossil remains of pterosaur eggs were discovered in Chile. Further information was added in 2013 and 2014, when the fossil of a female individual of a genus of pterosaur called Darwinopterus was found in China-with a mature egg partially pushed out of her cloaca by decomposition gases. Later, an actual rookery of a new pterosaur genus was found in another area of China.**

 **Based on these finds, scientists have now deduced that surprisingly, instead of being hard and brittle, the shells of pterosaur eggs were more like those of turtles, lizards, or snakes, soft and leathery in structure and permeable to moisture. Not surprisingly, all known pterosaur eggs found "free" had been buried in soft sand or dirt, where they would be warm and moist-again, like turtles or lizards. It seems that female pterosaurs, therefore, laid their clutches at special islands or beaches, digging pits close to the water where they wouldn't be flooded or get too dry.**

 **As for what the actual babies were like when they popped out, fossils of embryos and new chicks (delightfully known as 'flaplings!') show that they were very well developed when they emerged into the open air, probably able to fly on their own steam within a week's time, if not within minutes. What does that mean for parental care? Scientists still aren't sure. It's possible that depending on species, a flapling might've been on its own, guarded and guided by one or both parents for an unknown amount of time, or actively taken care of at the nesting grounds by both adults, protected and fed until it had the strength and skills to make it on its own.**

 **The pterosaurs in this chapter are a species belonging to a genus of ornithochierid known as Coloborynchus. Despite the advances we've made with digital modeling, CAT scans, studies of trackways, and hands-on models, pterosaurs continue to quite puzzlingly be portrayed wildly inaccurately in regards to locomotion. Because their wings are superficially bat-like, it's been traditionally assumed that grounded pterosaurs also clumsily scrabbled along in the sprawling manner of bats-even that they hung upside down like bats, as depicted in Fantasia. In actual fact however, it is now known that pterosaurs held their hands and feet squarely underneath their bodies, supporting themselves on strengthened legs and arms as they walked in a posture similar to a gorilla or a person on crutches. Indeed, if there's any types of bats that pterosaurs can truly be compared to in their movements on land, it's the three species of vampire bats. Amazingly versatile on terra firma, vampire bats can hop about like frogs, scramble like voles, stand erect on their feet and walk like a chimp-even gallop like a rat! Pterosaurs could very likely get around with equal aplomb too.**

 **I can't help silently laughing whenever I see a pterosaur portrayed as carrying off some helpless damsel in its made-up "talons" like some prehistoric, leather-winged giant eagle. That's because it's quite simply, total bullshit. The hind feet of pterosaurs were plantigrade like ours, lacking the opposable first toe of birds. And to be perfectly frank, a person that was attacked by one wouldn't really have much to worry about-a good punch or blow from a big stick would seriously injure or even kill even a bigger species immediately.**

 **Last of all, pterosaur wings, instead of being like the leathery membranes of modern bats, were actually quite complex structures, containing sheets of muscle fibers, veins, and ligaments, all working in concert to give the animal exquisite control. And like the rest of their bodies, they were covered in sleek pycnofibers, structures that were pretty much like mammal hair, but not totally the same in structure.**

 **P.S. As always, I'd be delighted if you did the two R's!**


	26. Chapter 26

**While I'm sure you're all eager to see what happens to our imperiled geneticist, first we turn to the other lost member of this little band.**

* * *

 **Bob.**

The search had gone poorly. Any fallen branches Bob and the other hypsys had collected were either too big or heavy for their light little bodies to move, or too thin and fragile for the purpose.

Finding good strong vines and conifer roots had posed no problem. Bob had given Leo and the others the needed simple psychic "instructions," and set them to the task while he tried to figure out his next move. He was surprised to see that the primitive, five-fingered hands of hypsys turned out to be impressive tools for digging, and their beaks filled the role of bush knife pretty well too.

All the while, the Iguanodon bulls-Spike, Tantor, and Speed Racer—wandered along the shore. The elephant-sized dinosaurs intently glanced over now and again at all the activity and odd behavior from the hypsys, but generally concentrated on their constant need to devour vegetation.

Without the supervision and psychic reminders from their leader, the minds and bodies of the hypsys soon wandered from their task. Bob allowed them to do so. He watched as curious Carl and bold, fun-loving Leo scurried down the shore to mingle with their far bigger cousins.

Carl seemed content to stare at them from a prudent distance while he chomped on yellow-orange flowers, somewhat similar in appearance to poppies, Bob thought. The trio of bulls were enjoying them too. But then Leo darted directly between Tantor's forelegs and snatched a spray of purplish flowers right from a bush he was devouring!

Tantor snorted and spun so fast he nearly tripped and did a faceplant, while the tail of the little Hypsilophodon whacked his right forearm. Such audacity couldn't be tolerated, and Tantor gave a deep, rumbling growl as he bared his beak and swept his suitcase-sized, heavy, spiked hand, stabbing at and smashing into-

Nothing.

With his gazelle agility, Leo was way too quick for the irate Iggy bull. He let the flowers drop, and darted for cover into a mass of tree ferns. Tantor charged over with another rumbling growl, lowered his head, and ate them.

A few seconds later, Leo and Carl were back beside Bob, breathing hard and cocking their heads, tails flicking up and down. Carl looked like he was intensely staring, although that could've just been his beetling "eagle" eyebrows. Leo was exuberantly bounding in the air. Bob cocked his head to look back to see Al scratching underneath his ribcage as he stood around and chewed a fern frond. Nearby, Hal rattled his beak in anger, then went back to chewing through a conifer root he'd exposed just the right length of with his handclaws.

Leo darted towards the trio of bulls once again, and Bob's crest rose as he called after him.

(Leave them, they're not bothering you!)

But the Hypsilophodon bachelor was determined to be a pest. He made darts at and sped in circles around the trio of Iguanodon bulls that were just trying to mind their own business, annoying them until Spike and Tantor lost patience, pawed the ground as they ground their teeth, and then charged him in tandem.

Spike brushed against the trunk of a hemlock-like conifer while trying to get at Leo, smashing though the boughs like a wrecking ball and sending them tumbling to the ground, crashing into the ferns with a hiss.

Carefully, Bob came closer and cocked his head, looking at the branches that had been dislodged.

They were just the right thickness!

Leo evaded the duo easily, and the bulls trotted to a stop. They gazed at Bob for a few seconds before, snorting and grinding their teeth in irritation as they walked back to Speed Racer.

Bob walked over to the fallen branches. They were just what he needed. Only-there weren't enough.

He looked back at the Iguanodon trio near the water and gulped. He knew what needed to be done.

Bob gave a gentle yelp to call the others to follow him. Leo ran after them.

 _I'll just act like I'm Will_ , Bob thought to bolster his confidence.

He silently approached the bulls at an angle and made a show of feeding and scratching himself as he came closer. All three stood up on their hind feet and looked at him, giving him that comical thumbs-up gesture. He cocked his turtle head and had to strain his neck to look up into their goat eyes.

Spike got down on all fours and ground his teeth, slowly lashing his tail.

A warning.

 _God, please let me be as fast in this body as I think I am_ , Bob thought as he took a deep breath, then darted forward and boldly bit Spike in the forearm.

The Iguanodon reared up and bellowed in surprise. The bite had been a small one, and hadn't even broken the three-ton dino's two inch thick skin. But the act itself was too much.

Bob ducked as the daggered spike and mitt of a hand came flying at his head, the breeze and the hiss of the blow making him squeal in terror. He rolled, sprang erect, and ran, not looking back. The booming, thudding footfalls of the Iguanodons were all he needed to hear.

Bob and the other hypsys led the bulls among the trees closest to the shore, aiming for ones that were growing close together. Bob deliberately leapt through branches, and so did his companions.

Spike, Tantor, and Speed Racer, who weren't all _that_ fast-and certainly not that agile-smashed through the forest like living eighteen wheelers, raking and tearing boughs from trunks.

Bob ran them a merry chase, stopping now and again to toss a pinecone at them as he dodged around tree trunks, jumped over logs, and zoomed between the bulls whenever he could manage, causing them to slam into each other as often as they did the trees with a sound like immense football players colliding.

Finally, when Bob felt sufficient wood had been knocked down for his needs, he stopped and turned to face the enraged trio. Leo and the others stopped forty feet behind him, red eyes wide as they panted.

 _This is the really scary part,_ Bob nervously thought, his spinal crest rising as he gave a rolling click.

Would music soothe these savage beasts?

He forced himself to stand completely still as Spike and his pals raced up to him, eyes blazing as they raised their forefeet-

And then Bob turned on the tunes. _Only Time_ , by Enya, one of his personal favorite new hits.

The enraged bulls stopped in their tracks, panting as their eyes widened. Then, one by one, they shut their serrated turtle beaks and dropped back to all fours, watching Bob in wonder as they listened to the strange rhythm in their heads, their tails beginning to swing about.

Then Spike moaned and walked forward slowly, pupils contracting, as if he expected more mischief.

Clucks and chirps came from behind Bob. It was Leo, eager for some more fun.

Don't move, Bob anxiously thought, willing the other hypsy cock to chill out even as he kept softly singing.

(And who can say where the road leads…)

The noises from behind stopped.

Once the first tune was completed, Bob switched to a new piece. _Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds_ , by The Beatles. As he sang, he slowly backed away from the Iggies, then began to gather fresh flowers and leafy twigs for them under their fascinated gaze, biting them off with his beak and gathering them in his arms.

When he'd gathered as much as he could manage to hold, Bob gingerly walked back up to them and dropped the bundle of blossoms as he then started on Gershwin's legendary _Rhapsody In Blue_.

Eyes bright with suspicion, Spike grunted, then lowered his horse head and accepted the offering. He chomped at them happily, rumbling in pleasure.

Bob looked back to the other hypsys, and sent them a psychic command. In response, they went alert, then began biting off twigs and putting them into piles for the trio of bulls.

Tantor and Speed Racer came forward and began eating too.

Soon, everyone was at peace again. Spike even allowed the hypsys to feed from the same pile. Bob sampled a few bites, but he had a lot more on his mind.

He decided to put the Iggy bulls to work. After all, the thick branches still needed to be stripped of their offshoots.

As creatures of very little brain, it was a real chore to make them even halfway comprehend what he wanted them to do with his psychic orders. But he managed in the end, playing music as a reward whenever one of the Iggies bit off a side branch in just the right fashion with their cleavers of beaks, and making unpleasant sounds like cats fighting or loud sirens if Tantor or one of his fellows looked like they were going to bite the actual bough in two or stood around longer in bafflement then Bob cared for.

Once that was done, he then coaxed the bulls into grabbing the small logs in their beaks and carrying them, like huge prehistoric dogs, down to the shore, where Bob then used the roots and vines to tie them together.

He wished there was some way to rig up a sail, but he was going to have to settle for a paddle.

When the Iguanodons had served their purpose, Bob bid them a heartfelt (Thanks so much for the heavy lifting guys,) and then sang _Some Enchanted Evening_ from the play _South Pacific_ as a farewell gift to the trio before returning his focus back to the task at hand.

The work crawled on for the majority of two hours. Someone always anxiously watched the forest, in case the Microvenators-or some other predator-made an appearance. He kept his eyes open for crocodiles too.

Bob was also somewhat worried that the Iggies would wander back over and tamper with the very raft they'd just helped out with. Their feet could do a lot of damage.

But the trio moved away, no unwanted visitors showed up, and the work went on. Bob tied all the knots himself, the way he'd been taught as a scout. He kept his fingers crossed that he'd allowed just the right amount of slack, considering that the roots and vines would tighten once the raft was in the water.

He raised his head to examine the deep, rich and soft blue of the sky, and was relieved to see no sign of the storms which had been drenching him from the very second of his arrival in the age of dinosaurs. There was a mild breeze however, and it would be at his back as he traversed the lake, heading to Will and the others.

(Have I ever talked about how much I loved adventure novels?) Bob nostalgically asked Carl, who was taking a break. (I couldn't get enough of them as a boy. Robert Louis Stevenson. Jules Verne. Sir Walter Scott.)

(Ah, and the illustrations, especially those by N. C. Wyeth…Just glorious, enchanting. My family vacationed once in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and they took me to the Brandywine River Museum, where I got to feast my eyes on so many of the original paintings.)

(I was never all that creative, but I could appreciate good art. The paintings of a young Arthur, the Black Arrow, Smaug, Treasure Island…)

As ridiculous as he knew this all was, it was still therapeutic to be talking to the other hypsys. His tired muscles gained new strength, and his aches and pains were dispelled as he relived those moments. He was midway through telling the attentive Carl a truncated version of _Journey to The Center of The Earth_ when he glanced down and realized with a shock that the raft was finished.

A curious, unexpected sadness washed over him as he looked up at his companions. Their brooding eyes were bright and expectant. They were wondering what was next.

But there was nothing next. It was time for him to leave.

Bob had always found it best for the partings in life to be done with swiftly. Nothing he could say or do would make things any easier, so he simply turned his back on them, shoved the raft into the water, and sprung on board, splaying his legs and digging in his claws as he gripped his makeshift oar.

He'd paddled fifteen feet out from the shore when he heard their yelps and clicks. They ran along the shore at a prudent distance from the water, leaping, standing tall, and watching him in bemused wonder as he seemed to stand on the surface of the lake. He supposed that for the hypsys it was the equivalent of what the disciples must've felt watching Jesus walking on water towards them.

He was about to bid them good-bye when he saw movement in the woods. At first, he assumed it was either the Iguanodons or Tenontosaurs.

Then a bunch of long-armed forms flew at them from cover.

The Microvenators were back.

* * *

 **Those damn oviraptorids just won't quit, will they?**

 **Amazingly, it turns out that at least some hypsilophodonts truly were quite good at digging. In 2007 in southeastern Montana, the 95-million old fossil remains of a new genus and species of hypsilophodont called Oryctodromeus were first described. Belonging to three different individuals-an adult and two large chicks-the bones were found at the end of a sandstone-filled cavity about 70 centimeters wide and six and a half feet deep-the first dinosaurs known to create and live in burrows! Like modern puffins, they dug shelters into soft soil to raise their young.**


	27. Chapter 27

**And as promised, here's the first of at least two chapters in which Henry Wu's afternoon becomes rather more thrilling than he'd have liked...**

* * *

 **Wu.**

There was no time to run or get out of the way of the flash flood. It came at Wu that quickly.

Wu could only rise to his hind feet and instinctively, futilely try to brace himself as the wall of churning brown water, filled with logs and branches, bore down on him like a runaway train, seemingly hissing like a snake.

He yelled in his head and gave a grating bellow as the frothing mass smashed into him with the force of a city bus, feeling the cold wave knock his 7,200 pound body off his feet and into the air before enveloping Wu, turning him over and over in the brown water like a piece of woodwork on a lathe.

He kicked all four of his feet wildly, not knowing which way was up or down, helpless in the grip of the flood as thick branches smashed into him like clubs. Wu tried to hold his breath as best he could, but soon he began to feel a terrible, raw, raking agony in his lungs as the water entered his huge nostrils.

Wu kicked his hind legs hard again, and to his temporary relief, broke the surface, gratefully drawing breath, coughing. But he was still in the thick of the torrent, still in immediate danger of going under again. What was he going to do?

Wu's first, automatic impulse was to follow both his own instincts and the Iguanodon's, to swim for the shore and get himself out of this mess, then get back to the others.

It was a poor decision.

Facing broadside to the path of the floodwaters, Wu soon found himself fighting to make headway. Branches and even rocks pummeled him again and again, and all the sand and mud contained in the torrent made the water more viscous, intensified the force of the current-and all the more difficult for Wu to make any real progress towards his goal. It was like trying to swim through a stream of slightly dilute honey being fired out of a gigantic hose.

He kicked his huge hind legs, and thrashed his immense conical tail, striving with all his might to get back to terra firma. But the churning flood kept washing him further downstream, pushing at him, trying to pull him under as Wu struggled to keep his head above the surface. This Iguanodon body was getting nowhere fast.

Several times, Wu felt himself get tumbled horizontally by the savage current. Going under the surface, he'd turn one, two, three times, the sensation making Wu feel like he was in a gigantic washing machine before he bobbed back up again.

His battle was a losing one, and his futile efforts soon began to exhaust Wu. Now, horror overwhelmed him as his own head briefly slipped underneath the surface. Somehow, he found the strength to raise it again. But then the current took him under again, the water slipping over his eyes…

If Henry Wu had left the responsibility of getting them out of the floodwaters to the Iguanodon's instincts, under the premise that the bull knew best how to handle this situation, they both would've died. The dinosaur was too stupid, too panicked to know how to work with the current to his advantage. But Wu did.

Suddenly, as Wu desperately gasped and fought to keep his head above the surface, the brown water filling his vision again and again, a vivid memory came back to the geneticist from over a decade earlier, when he'd found himself in a situation like this before.

It'd been a lovely California spring day, warm and cloudless, when Henry Wu had decided to go to Half Moon Bay for an afternoon swim. He'd breast stroked through the mild surf and then past the breakers, where he'd floated and swum for about twenty minutes before getting chilled and deciding to head back to shore.

On his return journey, Wu had swum a different route back to the beach-and with both a force and an abruptness that had shocked him utterly, found himself in the grip of a rip current.

Like now, his first instinct had been to fight the current, give himself up to the fear and try to swim a perpendicular route back to the safety of the beach. But the implacable power of the rip tide had dragged him under, waves crashing over Wu's head as his lungs began to spasm for oxygen…

And then, as he'd started to drown, it came to Wu. Stop fighting.

Not fighting to stay alive, oh no. Rather, he needed to _quit_ letting panic direct him, stop exhausting himself by fighting the unbeatable power of the rip tide-and swim _with_ it instead. He'd done so, swimming with a new determination, and had very soon found simply going with the flow, as scary as it was, to be a lot less energy-sapping.

And of course, it had saved him.

Now it was time to see if, in this second moment of crisis, the same trick would work twice.

Mustering what was left of his strength, and using his tail as a rudder, Wu turned ninety degrees, setting a course for downstream.

The Iguanodon's mind was consumed by animal panic, still wanting to try swimming to dry land.

But Wu kept their hind legs pedaling, his tail swinging, making their shared body do things _his_ way as he let the fifteen-foot deep torrent of churning, muddy water take them where it may.

If the river had been calm, Wu would've swum at a sedate pace. But now, paddling in the same direction as the current, his velocity was added to the floods'.

Just like with the rip current, he soon found that even in this body, swimming with the flow was a surprisingly easy task. All he had to do was keep up a pace just slightly faster than the force of the flood, so he could turn and navigate effectively, avoiding submerged rocks or stumps as they appeared. Swimming in this manner also reduced his broadside surface area, and so made it a lot less likely that he'd be clobbered by logs or other floating debris.

Using the incredible range of vision granted by his side-mounted eyes, Wu also had little trouble with seeing any debris that threatened to strike him in the head from behind. All he had to do was use his tail like a rudder and paddle out of the way, or use his muzzle to nudge it aside.

Although the Iguanodon's eyes had wonderful color vision, and were quite sensitive to movement, Wu found it difficult to focus on other objects and get a sense of distance with them.

All the same however, the geneticist soon began to see and smell that he was far from the only creature that'd been caught in this deadly waterslide. He saw other dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles, snakes, small mammals, splashing fish, lizards and frogs passing by and around him, both alive and dead.

Trees zipped by, Wu seeing some collapse under the force of the water.

At one point, a huge, thrashing fish, maybe two hundred pounds in size and with scales like pieces of flint, brushed up painfully against Wu's left calf, feeling like an immense wood rasp being dragged across his flesh. He guessed it was some type of gar.

Two young Sauroposeidon bulls stood like the Trojan horse in the rushing torrent, eyes vacant and confused as they craned their long necks, trying to grasp what was going on, the frothing water splashing high on their upstream sides. Both of them would survive the next eighty-odd minutes, thanks to their respective sheer thirty-five tons of mass anchoring them in place.

An entire breeding herd of Tenontosaurus swept by and around Wu, tails lashing as their members gave desperate _gwaas_ of terror over and over again, cows and calves wildly crying out to each other.

Wu saw a mammal that looked vaguely like a silver cuscus clinging to a thick conifer branch, her joey embracing her own plush-furred back as it squealed in complete terror.

A male hypsilophodont, of a species different from Mr. London, brown eyes dilated with fear as he struggled and swam for his life.

A dead Deinonychus whipped by, feathers soaked.

He nearly collided with a six-foot long, brown and white monitor lizard, legs tucked against its body as it swung its tail in an S fashion.

Legs limp in the water, the carcass of a two-ton Iguanodon cow, rotating in a whirlpool, caught his eye and gave him a chill that had nothing to do with the water temperature.

Without a watch, Henry Wu had no idea exactly how far the flash flood took him or how long he was forced to swim along with it. It soon seemed like he'd spent the entire day doing this, being swept along in what almost seemed as if the world's biggest cup of cold mocha coffee had just been spilled around him, getting increasingly chilled as he dodged submerged rocks and trees and was whisked around bends in the river. Probably, as was generally the case with any intense, hair-raising experience, the effects of adrenal hormones made it seem longer then it had actually been in reality.

As for distance, he couldn't say for sure either when the current finally began to slacken. Wu knew he'd been taken a long way from the pterosaur rookery. But how far?

Five miles? Ten? Twenty?

But what Wu _did_ know for certain was that in good time, much to his surpassing relief, the force of the flood began to soften, the current becoming gentler against his body and paddling feet.

The flooded river was spreading out now, becoming an unhurried sheet that braided and wove and slipped over sandbars and mud banks.

As soon as he could do so, Wu gratefully stopped swimming and just let himself float in the sediment-packed, receding water, glancing around as he looked for a spot to step ashore.

There. That huge sandbar appearing next to the left bank, which gently sloped down itself to the water.

Tired, Wu swam for it, hardly believing that he'd managed to survive the flash flood's fury.

It was such a wonderful sensation when his three-toed Iguanodon feet once more made contact with the river bottom, and an even better one when Wu stepped out onto the wet sand, badly shaken and feeling totally drained-but alive.

He wasn't alone on the sandbar. Another Iguanodon bull was lying there in a slack heap, eyes unblinking, along with a Tenontosaurus cow nearby. They hadn't been as lucky as Wu had.

 _That could've easily been me lying there too_ , Wu thought uneasily as he squelched a shudder and turned away.

Walking over to the other, downstream end of the sandbar, his gait wobbly, huge muscles quivering from cold and fatigue, he sat down in the moist sand, breathing hard.

His Iguanodon body ached like he'd been shoved into a gigantic dumpster, which had then been heaved over the side of an 8,000 foot mountain, hitting every possible outcrop and spur of stone on the way down. Wu knew the others had to be deeply worried about his safety after seeing him get broadsided by the floodwaters and ripped away, with no idea if he was dead or okay-especially poor Patience. He had to rejoin them as soon as he could.

Fortunately however, the uncanny feeling in Wu's chest and mind that had been directing all of them north to Ground Zero was telling him that he wasn't far away from their ultimate destination-probably less than six hours in fact, he estimated. And there was still a decent amount of daylight left.

He could afford to doze for a couple hours, give his body and both their minds the rest they so desperately craved. So Wu gingerly laid down on his bruised right side to sleep in the warm afternoon sun for a time, closing his eyes with a supreme gladness to know that he'd still have the ability to open them again. He was a lucky soul indeed. Within seconds, he was out like a light.

Wu slept for slightly more than an hour and a half on the sandbar, shifting onto his belly partway through to breathe more easily, ribs smoothly rising and falling, oxygenated air filling his lungs and air sacs.

He was woken by the sounds of tugging, of splashing, harsh, shrill cries and flapping wings. None of them came across as concerning to the Iguanodon's instincts. Neither did the odors.

So Wu dismissed them, and kept his eyes closed for a time as he continued to lay, half-asleep, in the hot sun, relishing the feel of it on his scaled back and flanks.

But eventually, the heat became uncomfortable. So did the annoying sounds of the squabbling scavengers.

With a sigh of resignation, Wu opened his eyes and rose to all four feet. Turning his long head, he glanced with his left eye at the upstream end of the sandbar, where the bodies of the other Iguanodon bull and the Tenontosaurus cow were lying. Straw-yellow and brown crocodiles were feeding from both carcasses, yanking and jerking at the dead dinosaurs, pale bellies flashing as they rolled in the water, making horrid grunting sounds as they tore loose pieces of flesh and entrails, which they then tossed to the backs of their throats to swallow. Pterosaurs were flying around too, their attentions mostly focused on the Iguanodon bull, using their tooth-studded beaks to tear off and gulp down their own shares of red meat, stuffing their crops.

Both the crocodiles and flying reptiles dispersed, taking to their respective domains as Wu thoughtfully approached to inspect the scene, the crocs working together to drag the Tenontosaurus into the drink, where they then continued to feast.

Wu could smell the blood from both herbivores, their gut contents and feces, the white droppings from the fluttering, impatient pterosaurs, the scent of death itself.

The Iguanodon's instincts all found it terribly disturbing, a portent of death and nearby danger that made him want to shy away and anxiously scan the area for threats before leaving. Quickly.

Wu didn't blame it. He felt much the same way.

Once more, the awful understanding that their fate could've been his as well infused every nerve.

But it also generated a twinge of euphoria within him, the warm, astonished thrill and even pride that he'd faced a force of nature, one far more powerful and unforgiving than any dinosaur ever hatched-and somehow survived it. Henry Wu had been knocked off his feet by a flash flood, but here he was, still standing.

Raising his head, he used his amazing panoramic vision to scan the transformed river channel.

There were broken branches, uprooted trees and bushes, torn leaves and ferns and pine cones everywhere, floating on the surface or cast up on sandbars, islands and the banks.

So were a scattering of dead dinosaurs. Wu counted an additional sixteen dead Tenontosaurs of various sizes littering his stretch of the river, at least five dead hypsilophodonts, a five-ton astrodon calf, and a baker's dozen of baby Sauroposeidon, each about the size of a black rhino. It was a bonebed in the making-and put even more of a perspective on just how fortunate he was.

He also noticed several tired crocodiles that weren't feeding, but just resting like he was on the sandbars or banks. It looked as if lately, even the crocs had had more than their fill of water…

Shortly before he'd been swept away to kingdom come, Zane had angrily lambasted Wu for wanted to have all the current dinosaurs at the park destroyed and having had others killed for what the teen perceived as wanton, superficial reasons.

Wu knew of course, that any time one of the dinosaurs at the park was culled-or was potentially going to be culled-it was never done as lightly as Zane seemed to think. After all, he and his team had invested a lot of hard work and time into them. So whenever a cull was called for, it was nearly always done in the ultimate interests of either human safety or because something had gone wrong with the dinosaur's behavior or development to such a degree that it clearly wasn't going to thrive or have a good quality of life. So ending it was for the best.

But it had still really gotten under his skin.

For some reason, Wu now couldn't help but think of what Zane had said to him so accusingly, even as he looked around to get his bearings and regarded the dinosaurs lying dead in the river around him.

What had he felt so absolutely as the flash flood had crashed into him, filled and overwhelmed both his mind and the Iguanodon's as Wu had struggled helplessly, certain he was going to drown and die?

Fear.

What had these dinosaurs, lying dead all around him, experienced in the final moments of their lives as their lungs inhaled the deadly brown water and they'd lost consciousness?

Fear.

And what had-or would-the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar felt-or would feel-as they fought against the poison in the darts or syringes? Being in the body of an actual dinosaur himself, Wu knew the answer now, a dark wave of profound dismay, remorse, and guilt enveloping him as completely as the flash flood had.

Fear.

The sandbar was on the left side of the river, with only a narrow channel between it and the bank. Behind it was a great expanse of massive conifers that seemed to go on forever, in all directions.

It was no trouble for Wu to swim the channel, and then, hooking his front legs over the edge for leverage, hoist himself onto dry land.

That done, he stopped for a bit, resting again as he scanned the area around him. The sea of forest whose shore he was on reminded him very much of the old-growth forests he'd seen in California.

Redwoods, sequoias, hemlocks and cedars reared far above him, blocking out a good portion of the sunlight. What light did penetrate down to the forest floor was diffuse and muted, or lanced down in golden, angled shafts. Combined with the dark, brooding pillars of the tree trunks, it was almost like being in a natural cathedral.

Fallen giants laid here and there on the forest floor, like vast red-brown pickup sticks. Around them grew feathery, luxurious clusters of ferns and cycads.

Around his feet were stunning purple flowers which reminded him of wild azaleas. He was an Iggy in the azaleas, he thought.

He had to go through this expanse of forest to get to Ground Zero. Since nothing seemed out of the ordinary or caused the Iguanodon any concern, Wu walked in, the swatches and shafts of black and gold playing over his skin.

In this part of the forest, there were a good deal of flowering plants carpeting the ground. Some had white blossoms, some purple, some yellow, and red. Ravenous after such an ordeal, Wu eagerly began snacking on the flowers, lowering his head over and over again to bite loose several clumps with his tortoise beak before chewing, his teeth sliding back and forth against each other as he scanned the forest for any sign of predators.

It was a beautiful view, here in the forest.

Life was beautiful!

Insects like beetles, dragonflies, wasps and biting flies buzzed about, feeding from the flowers or briefly hanging in the shafts of amber light as Wu alternated between browsing and walking along. Small mammals that superficially resembled rodents, but that Wu knew were most likely either marsupials or multituberclates, scurried through the ferns or ran through the branches like squirrels.

Ever alert for either insect prey or their own predators, skinks, alligator lizards, geckos and other lizards jerkily darted over tree trunks and logs, cocking their heads and scurrying out of Wu's way as he strode forward. He also saw the occasional chunkier reptile lying on a log or among the ferns, which resembled earth-toned or dark green iguanas, right down to the spikes running down their backs, tilting their heads to glance up at him with a cat-pupiled eye. Despite their lizard looks, Wu was pretty sure that these reptiles were actually members of a group called rhynchocephalians, same as the modern tuataras of New Zealand.

But who really cared what everything was anymore? They were all wonders that he was still alive to enjoy, had the supreme honor of being here to take in firsthand, long before the first primates would even contemplate venturing out onto the grasslands.

Toothed birds and small pterosaurs with large eyes hopped and fluttered through the canopy. They softly called and sang back and forth to each other. Wu heard frogs and other insects calling from all around him too.

He encountered a few larger animals as he chomped flowers and smoothly walked along.

In one pool of sunlight, he came across a big monitor lizard, a rufous red beast spangled with yellow ochre and nine feet long-the size of a Komodo dragon. No danger to him though-when Wu carefully drew closer to investigate, the monitor questioningly raised its head, thoughtfully flicked out its denim blue forked tongue twice, and then turned away, sashaying off into the quivering ferns.

At one point, as he stepped over logs and took passing bites of flowers or ferns to refresh himself, Wu heard the sound of branches cracking and snapping off to his right, of gentle groans and buzzes.

Standing on his hind feet, Wu sniffed and looked in the direction of the disturbance. It was four astrodon bulls, a combined seventy tons of sauropod browsing their way through the forest. No threat there either.

He walked on, going even deeper into the forest, continuing to head due north.

Over the sounds of the birds and insects, from about three-quarters of a mile away and almost directly in his path, Wu then suddenly heard a strange sound, resonating through the still air underneath the trees.

WHUNK-A-CHUNK.

Then a groaning buzz.

WHUNK-A-CHUNK.

The groaning buzz again.

At first he was puzzled, unable to place such an odd sound.

But his Iguanodon instincts knew. And then Wu remembered. He'd made those very sounds himself to try to help Mr. London find them, with his nasal bladders.

It was another bull Iguanodon, calling as a display, probably to attract females for mating. Since the calling bull was evidently more or less dead ahead of Wu, he decided to veer off course a little, enjoy the privilege of actually witnessing the display for himself.

The WHUNK-A-CHUNKS and slurred "Wows" got louder and louder as Wu strolled through the forest. Until he saw their maker.

The Iguanodon bull was in a forest glade a hundred and twenty yards in diameter, standing on a fern-covered knoll, beaked head held high as he called for the attentions of any nearby cows.

WHUNK-A-CHUNK.

Wu watched, amazed, as the bright orange bladders swelled out of the other bull's nostrils, forming egg-shaped ovals that covered the entire front portion of his muzzle. Then he'd give the nasal buzz as they gently deflated.

The scientist in Wu decided to try an experiment. He stood up on his hind feet, and entered the glade, carefully walking toward the other bull.

Then he replied with a display call of his own, just to see what would happen, sealing off special valves in his nasal passages and feeling the exhaled air rush into the orange bladders of skin.

Instantly, the other bull froze, his head jerking about for the source of the sound. A brown eye fixed on Wu-and the pupil contracted into a hateful glare.

Wu had only just enough time to realize the other bull had taken his own call as a challenge-or at least, a display of insolence-before he sprung to his own hind feet with a terrible snort and bared his beak in fury.

(My mistake,) Wu muttered apologetically, hurriedly lowering his head in what he hoped the other bull would see as a submissive gesture and looking away.

But the other bull would not be appeased. With a drawling growl, he charged at his perceived rival, ferns and sticks being crushed underfoot as Wu wheeled and made a run for it.

The Iguanodon's mind was happy to accept the challenge, spoiling to show the other bull what he was made of. Wu however, wasn't nearly as enthusiastic.

He could see the other bull crashing through the forest behind him, eyes narrowed and beak eager to bite, the needles of sunlight glinting off the black spikes of thumbs.

As he ran, Wu suddenly tripped over a log. He fell on his chest, skidding, and immediately pushed off the ground with his front feet. It took just a moment to shift his weight back and hit his stride again.

But his fall had given the pursuing bull the chance to close the gap. Wu saw him coming up behind him, so astonishingly fast, beak opening!

The knobby, craggy, scale-embossed horse head lunged forward. A flare of pain in the side of his thick tail! Wu had been bitten!

More hot pain as the bull's beak bit him in the tail again, then the right hip.

Deciding he had to do something in his defense, Wu turned and reared up, roaring as he met the impact of the other bull's body.

They wrestled briefly, pushing hard against each other's chests with their front feet, arms slapping and shoving and jerking up and down, biting at the other's shoulders as their muscles strained. Suddenly, the other bull pulled back a bit, then lunged forward, grabbing Wu like a boxer seizing another in a clinch.

As Wu struggled to break free, he began to feel a new type of pain in his chest and upper arms, swift and fiery. The enraged Iguanodon bull was stabbing him with his spiked thumbs!

Desperately, Wu threw his weight downward, breaking his opponent's grasp, and then pulled back, giving his attacker a psychically generated sheet of ice to slip around on as he turned and made good his escape. As he'd hoped, the extremely out-of-place skating rink caused the other Iggy to lose both his balance and his composure at the abrupt sensation of cold, slick ice underneath his soles, groaning in shock as he splayed his feet and crashed onto his left side, all four limbs wildly scrabbling before he was able to get a degree of purchase and shakily stand up in the fashion of a newborn foal. Or Bambi in that famous Disney scene.

To further repel his attacker, Wu then sent him into a confused panic with a very immediate sounding tyrannosaur roar. Then he turned and was out of there, blood trickling from his fresh battle wounds.

He continued to run for several hundred yards, always taking care not to trip on a log or stump. Then Wu slowed and came to a stop, breathing hard as he felt the distinctly disturbing sensation of his own blood trickling over his skin from the bite and stab wounds, warm against his hide and sharply metallic to his nostrils.

That Iguanodon had certainly given him something to remember him by.

But it could've been a lot worse, Wu reminded himself. His experiment with responding to the other Iguanodon hadn't gone anything like he'd planned...and had been a vivid display of just how unpredictable living creatures could be.

Kind of like what Malcolm had been telling them all about the park's dinosaurs from the second he'd landed on the island, and what Patience and Zane had said about what would have ultimately happened to the extraordinary experiment called Jurassic Park…

Wu shook his head, then assessed his condition. None of his wounds, even the ones from the stiletto thumbs, seemed to be all that serious. They were certainly painful however, and Wu naturally became worried that the odor of his fresh blood might attract any predators in the forest. He licked whatever injuries he could manage to reach with his raspy tongue until they started to clot, and then carried on, hearing the aggressive bull resume calling back at his glade.

He walked on all fours and browsed on flowers as he ambled through the ancient cathedral of a forest. His path took him up over a fairly steep ridge, but he had no difficulty making his way over the rocky, inclined forest floor with an easy grace, Wu's quadrupedal stance affording him excellent stability.

After halting for a few minutes at the top of the ridge to rest, feed, and lick his wounds again, Wu looked downslope, and then deliberately began to descend down into the valley, slipping among the trees.

For some reason, this part of the forest soon began to make Wu feel uneasy. Located on the eastward side of the ridge, it wasn't as sunny, seemed gloomier somehow. As he walked through the mosaic of sunlight and shadow, Wu raised his head and sniffed.

Evergreens, ferns, cycads, wildflowers, a few tree ferns. A few worn outcrops or protrusions of stone. Rotting wood, conifer resin, rich soil, mammal urine, a dead pterosaur, the perfume of the blossoms. No scents or sounds out of the ordinary.

The birds and insects still sang and called, and mammals sometimes rustled in the leaves.

Taking a deep breath, Wu walked on for a few more minutes, reassuring himself that he was just being paranoid. Still, he felt an inexplicable nervousness starting to gnaw at him. He knew that he was alone, and now smelt of fresh blood, an open invitation to any nearby predator. Indeed, on some instinctive level, Wu had the impression that something dangerous had already come across his blood-smelling trail, and was even now stalking him, biding their time.

He found himself wishing Patience was with him...

He paused to crop the purple and yellow blooms again, going at the task with gusto, even as he kept his ears and swiveling eyes at attention for any sign of danger.

And then, the shrilling and buzzing of the insects and frogs all came to an eerie, simultaneous halt, like the boom and needle being lifted from a vinyl record. The forest became spookily silent. This was not good.

Wu stood erect, looking about him. Something was out there, some creature that the other denizens of the forest didn't like in the least.

Suddenly, the cathedral pillars of the redwoods and cedars seemed like the columns of some sinister castle or hall of judgment. Wu quickly reminded himself that although he would indeed be in serious danger if he was walking through this forest as his normal human self, he was currently in the body of a 32-foot dinosaur whose body was at least forty-five times heavier than his own.

The only theropod in the area that could have any hope of killing a dinosaur his size would be a big acrocanth-and surely he'd have noticed a meat-eater that large by now.

But all the same, the nugget of nervousness grew, and with it came fear, a light, leaping fear that warned but as yet didn't terrify. It was the kind of fear that came not because Wu was afraid, but because there was something wrong. His heart hammered in his chest.

Then he heard something-no, _multiple_ somethings-moving toward him through the forest from all directions. Faint rustles of ferns. The occasional snap of a twig or stick. The rustle of leaf litter. The odd scrape of what sounded like claws on stone. The creatures sounded closer than they probably were, because the sounds were amplified as they passed through the narrow gaps between tress. Still, Wu could tell that the animals were coming towards his position at a good clip. A fast clip. They'd be here in less than half a minute.

Wu took a deep breath and held it, side-mounted eyes scanning in all directions. In the still air underneath the trees, there was very little breeze to carry scent. He presumed it was a pack of Microvenators coming his way, attracted by the blood. Once they got a proper look at him and saw he was no Tenontosaur, a beast way above their fighting weight, they'd drift away to seek more manageable game.

And then, from off to his left and in front of him, twenty-five yards away, the first of the dinosaurs, moving as silently and deliberately as a ghost among the ferns, showed itself.

Although he intellectually knew he far outclassed the leopard-sized carnivore in bulk and strength, Wu's breath still caught in his throat, and he backpedaled slightly as its identity registered with him, and he saw the unmistakable patchwork of colors on the feathered coat.

One by one, from all directions, they seemed to ooze out of the forest, placing one sickle-clawed foot in front of the other, long heads thrusting forward and stiff tails flicking with each step as their eyes locked on Wu.

Raptors. At least two dozen of them.

And hungry for fresh Iguanodon bull.

* * *

 **And as they say, the plot thickens...**

 **Reviews are much appreciated!**


	28. Chapter 28

**At last, one way or another, Will's captivity in the depths of the mountain finally comes to an end...**

* * *

 **Will**

William Reilly didn't think or talk about his father all that often. His mind tended to wander whenever his dad, Douglas Reilly, offered advice or pearls of wisdom.

Yet now, as he moved down a long, dark corridor with Hook at his side, one of those lessons echoed in his mind along with their footfalls: _More often than not, not making a decision **is** making a decision._

Will had made his way back to the main cave and hadn't encountered the long-armed theropod again. All his attempts to discover a way out of this warren of tunnels had come up empty. There was no hope of escape through any of them.

But Will _had_ to escape. And right now he could think of only one, desperate way…

As he guided Hook through the depths of the mountain and around a bend in a sloping path, the exciting scent overwhelmed him-

MEAT-FOOD-PREY TO KILL

-the odors of life.

This was the tantalizing X-marks-the-spot of the raptor pack's quest, the buried treasure, the reason they'd come to the land above these caverns and camped there.

As Will led Hook into the huge chamber which contained the herd of Tenontosaurs and other herbivores, he could almost _feel_ the eagerness, the hunger, the ache, in his companion.

Then, despite his wounded foot, Hook tried to surge ahead. But Will reached out with a clawed hand and grabbed the base of his tail, steadying the raptor before he could fall.

A hollow, scratchy bellow rose from the darkness beyond.

Will tried to steel his shaky nerves. Most of the dinosaurs in this cavern, the Tenontosaurs least of all, were not nearly as docile and meek as they looked. He needed to remind himself to watch his step.

Heads thrusting forward and back, Will and Hook entered the cave. Foxfire from fungi on the wide, arcing ceiling weakly illuminated the scene before them with an eerie emerald green light. Three massive Iguanodon bulls, perhaps thirty small, feathered, two-legged plant eaters, five spiky armored dinosaurs, and dozens of Tenontosaurus-old, young, bulls, and cows-lay on the stone floor.

 _Were they sleeping?_ Will wondered.

He needed to get past them to the underground river which was flowing through this chamber. He had the distinct impression that the wall of collapsed rubble and immense boulders sealing off the mouth of the cave off to his right wasn't too deep, and intended to swim the narrow channel to wherever it might lead underneath the barrier. While he knew it was an incredibly foolhardy thing to do, he also knew that it would certainly take him out of here, and with any luck, it would whisk him outside the mountain.

If the other dinosaurs _were_ sleeping as he suspected, he could do it quickly and quietly, without fear of an attack.

Unfortunately, Hook wasn't as prudent.

When the raptor grasped the utter feast that lay before him, he slowly stood as tall as he could, eyes widening like he simply could not believe his good fortune. Then, quick as a flash, he locked onto a sleeping young female Tenontosaur near the edge of the herd, about the size of a pony, and charged at her. His feet slapped against the stone, and Hook gave a low hiss at the new flare of pain in his foot.

It was enough to give the game away.

The plant-eater's head rose up, and she snorted in surprise. Near the river, so did a handful of heavy, beaked craggy heads.

Will tensed up as the Tenontosaurs began to rise. So did the monolithic forms of the Iguanodons.

Hook wasn't deterred as he rushed forward, breaking away from Will and trying to leap at them, despite his wounded leg. Will had to lunge after him himself, spreading out his plumed arms and tackling the other raptor to the ground to stop him. Hook yelped in shock, then they immediately began to claw and wrestle, claws grating against the stone.

Bringing Hook here had been so stupid! In his crippled condition, Hook wouldn't have the agility to avoid the many Tenontosaurs who were now bound to attack, and his hunger, his urge to kill weakened prey, was overruling his sense of self-preservation.

More of the Tenontosaurs were rising to their feet now, and so had all of Balin and Dwalin's fellows, snorting and leaping up to run in panic. _I should have come here with a much better plan_ , Will realized. _Why didn't I think this through?_

Even as he tried to get Hook under control, Will managed to cock his head and glance back at the tunnel mouth. He had to somehow drag Hook out of here and come back later when the dinosaurs were asleep again and he could get the other raptor to stay put at a place in the tunnels at a good distance away from here.

But-

Two of the Tenontosaurs, a bull and a large cow, had quickly, quietly, cunningly circled behind them, while all the other dinosaurs began to go utterly bananas, crying out in alarm. The groans and bellows and coughs and growls were just deafening.

The noise! So much noise!

Will had to quickly find another entrance to the tunnel system. Or he had to take Hook with him when he left the mountain by river, if possible.

That though, would surely mean Hook, sooner rather than later, would lead the other raptors back here, to the exhausted, starving prey!

Will hesitated, not sure what to think. He understood very well that there was a natural order to these things, that the Deinonychus pack had a right to feed themselves, and intended no malice in their killing-but he still didn't care. He'd _already_ lost Dwalin to Hook, and Tink and Balin had become his friends. And he really didn't want to be the catalyst of getting their family and herd mates torn to pieces, with no chance to even run away.

The trio of Iguanodons snorted and growled, and the adults in the Tenontosaur herd ominously trudged forward, tails lashing and spinal plumes erect, moving like a platoon of soldiers advancing into battle. Will quested for any opening among them and thought that if he was alone, he just might be able to weave among them.

But right now he was on the stone floor, still wrestling with Hook, who wanted to do nothing more than tear into one of the plant-eaters surrounding them.

Then an awful idea came to Will. It sickened him, but it was the only thing he could think of on such short notice.

(Forgive me,) Will said softly.

Raising his right foot, he kicked Hook savagely in his wounded leg, partly breaking the splint he'd made for the Deinonychus. Hook gave a short, piercing scream, then slumped forward, passing out from the pain.

Heart filled with regret, Will let go of Hook, leapt to his feet, and wrapped one of his wings around the raptor's chest, beginning to drag him as he looked for another way in. Then he saw it.

A gap-on the other side of the creek!

His odd behavior with Hook had given the Tenontosaurs pause. But then they closed on him. He screamed at them, and then imitated the sound of a bomb going off.

BOOM!

It bought him just enough time to work Hook's unconscious body up onto his back and shoulders, sort of like how Kovu had done in The Lion King II to save Kiara from the fire, and run.

Two of the horse-sized dinosaurs bellowed and came after. Others surged forward and hurried behind them. So did one of the towering Iguanodon bulls.

Will hissed and growled, hoping to scare them back. As the lead cow of the Tenontosaurus herd caught up, trying to bite him in the hip, Will spun and kicked out with his right foot as he gave a loud cougar's yowl, slicing the air in front of her open beak.

With a deep chirp of surprise, the matriarch of the Tenontosaurus band stumbled back and crashed into a fellow member of her sorority. They both got knocked off balance, and fell to the ground, despite their four-legged stances.

 _They're weak_ , Will thought. _All of these guys are getting close to the end of their rope._

But that still didn't make them any less dangerous.

Now the Iguanodon was on him, a huge, gargantuan behemoth like the Balrog in _The Lord of The Rings_ , his hind feet thudding like pile drivers.

Hoping that he knew what he was doing, Will tried the same move on him, but Hook's weight threw him off balance and he fell, dumping the unconscious raptor to the cold stone.

Will heard a deep growl above him, saw two heavy front feet descending, and rolled swiftly. As the Iguanodon bull stomped his front feet like a horse, one of them slammed down right next to Will's right leg, the breeze from it making his feathers twitch. The impact would've crushed his fragile bones. Raptor bodies were actually quite a bit weaker than Jurassic Park cracked them up to be, he'd discovered.

(I'm not going to eat you!) Will yelled, the words coming from the raptor's throat in short, desperate wiry barks. (I just want out of here!)

Several more random stomps from the Iggy's front feet, and a blind kick from a hind foot were Will's only acknowledgement.

With the Iguanodon keeping his smaller cousins somewhat at bay, Will scrambled toward a limp Hook and scooped him up again. Then, keeping a grip with his hands and mouth, using the lithe muscles of his raptor body, Will jumped.

He flew seven feet and landed on a pile of stones. This time, Will held on to Hook and got his footing quickly.

The Iguanodon bull lowered his head, and charged them again, like a huge running back.

But Will countered with the sound of a wolf pack, howling at full volume. It spooked the Iggy, and the nearby Tenontosaurs. For good measure, Will then kicked a stone at the Iguanodon, hitting him right between the eyes.

Shocked, the bull jerked his head up and then backed away, impressed. As the Tenontosaurs shifted, he then saw a clear path to the river-

But what was he supposed to do with the defenseless Hook?

The wounded Deinonychus couldn't swim with his injury, or not strongly. He wasn't even awake!

A sudden, shrill bleat of pain sounded from Will's far far left. The Tenontosaurs all froze, heads jerking about. Will risked a scan of the dimly lit chamber, and then saw a pig sized young Tenontosaurus struggling with, trying to shake off, a smaller, beaked, long-armed dinosaur.

The predator was gouging and biting the herbivore, darting in and away from the bleeding dino.

Many of the Tenontosaurs immediately broke off their assault on Will and Hook, rushing instead to the calf's aid.

Will immediately looked back toward the tunnel they'd come from. Had the long armed predator entered the chamber that way?

Impossible. The two dinosaurs guarding the entrance, heads down and tails swinging in anticipation, were still parked there to cut off a retreat-

This meant the turtle-beaked carnivore had found a second way into the great cavern on this side of the river!

Will was distracted by hearing Hook moan, grunt, and he felt the raptor's muscles start to twitch. He was waking up!

Will helped steady Hook on his one good leg and flicked his head toward the third carnivore at work.

(Hey, look, I think that's our stalker.) Will said to Hook, his head voice making the Tenontosaurs still advancing on them stop and give the raptors a dull, baffled stare. (I bet you wouldn't mind a shot at them, would you?)

Hook blinked, shook his head, then growled and clacked his jaws. He went hobbling toward the meat-eater, working his way around the Tenontosaurs.

Will began to follow when a heavy weight struck his back. A slicing pain shot through his upper torso, and he was bodily flung to the ground. He rolled, and saw a big Tenontosaur cow in a rearing posture and about to trample him, feathers pasted to her beak and front feet extending toward his chest.

(NO!) Will shouted. Sliding and kicking out with both his sickle claws, he nailed the cow in the heavy muscle of her lower thigh.

The dinosaur gave a zombie groan and shied back just long enough for Will to turn and get back to his feet. He felt weakened, could smell his own blood as it soaked into his feathers, and a tingling throbbed in his back.

He'd been badly bitten.

Still, when the cow wheel attempt ed on her hind feet, attempting to knock him back down with her whip of a tail, he had enough juice to leap right up into the air and avoid the blow.

As he dodged a kick from her back feet and ran, a volley of screams and snorts and bellows came from his left.

Will got a glimpse of Hook desperately scrambling and maneuvering through and beyond the Tenontosaur platoon, bluff-charging or screaming at them as needed to drive them back, freak them just enough. Then he was free, following the beaked predator into a small cave that Will hadn't previously seen.

He turned and tore for the big underground creek. A group of the little beaked plant-eaters gave terrified rattling clicks and scattered, one hen boldly kicking out at him in a bluff to distract him from her weaker chicks before darting away herself.

One of the two spiky Ankylosaur-looking dinosaurs, the size of a black rhino, was in his path, uttering howler monkey like whooping roars as her twin babies got behind her hips and under her long, spike-edged pebbly tail. Then she charged him like a hippo, swinging her immense left shoulder spike in an attempt to impale him.

He sprung up into the air, evading her jab, and hit the ground running as she wheeled with a snort, two cow and a bull Tenontosaurs hard on his heels as he streaked for the water and did a cannonball.

It was freezing cold, and something on his back stung like hell as he swam with the current, using his tail and legs for power. A weird, rotten-egg smell came to him, along with a faint, bitter taste he couldn't identify.

Several of the Tenontos splashed into the water, and two of the Iggies roared, but they were too late.

Will swam furiously, wings flapping and legs kicking as he came to the far wall of the cave, took a deep breath, and let the current take him below, praying that it wasn't far and that he'd be able to last until the river spilled out into the sunlight once more.

* * *

 **Remember folks, don't get on the bad side of big herbivores...**

 **As a public service announcement, I feel the need here to say never, ever, EVER do the stunt that Will does at the end of this chapter. Unless you can visually confirm that the watercourse really does emerge into the open air on the other side of the hill, ridge, or whatever barrier you're faced with on a hike, _never_ attempt to use a stream or river that goes underground as a shortcut. People can and have died doing this.**

 **Reviews are love, reviews are life.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Next chapter will see Wu's battle royale with the Deinonychus pack, I promise. But for now, let's see how Mr. London and his new pals get out of their own tough spot.**

* * *

 **Bob**.

Frantically, Bob clucked at the other hypsys, leaping up and down in alarm.

They stared intently at him, unsure of what to make of his actions.

Then they heard the footfalls, and saw the flashes of color on the casques of bone.

Leo and the others yelped in terror, then turned to face their attackers. Leo and Hal both took a frontal position, the feathers on their backs rising as they bared their beaks and braced themselves for the attack.

The others backed right to the edge of the water, wildly looking about for any way to escape. There was none-except the way Bob knew.

He frantically yelled, (All of you, get in the water! Swim to me, for God's sake! Hurry! Right now!)

But the hypsys didn't move, just milled about as the Microvenators lunged and parried at them.

Bob beat at the water with his crude oar, a thick branch with a flaring, rounded knob at the end, and nearly fell into the water. His stomach lurched as the little raft suddenly rose and fell, threatening to dump him at any moment. Seeing the weird spectacle, the Microvenators briefly switched their attention away from their attempts to divide and conquer-or more like divide and devour-to stare at Bob in bewilderment, cocking their heads and croaking.

It gave the hypsys the chance they needed to break away, have Bob's frantic motions register with them, and dash into the water.

(That's the way!) Bob yelled. Then his enthusiasm slumped as he looked more critically at the raft.

The branches weren't all the same length or thickness, but the crude raft had a good five-by-ten feet of surface area on it. Just enough to provide room for all five of them. But could it take the weight?

He had no clue. It occurred to Bob that he might have to practice some harshly pragmatic "lifeboat ethics" if that was the case. HAL 9000 would be proud. He wouldn't though.

Like chickens in a flood, Leo and the others swam to the raft, and using his arms and beak, feet splayed and tail waving for balance, Bob carefully hauled them on board.

But the Microvenators had snapped out of their bewilderment, and were now right behind them. Bob nearly fell as he hurriedly swept at the water with his simple oar, and the raft lifted so high that Carl and Hal, bleating in fear, almost slid into the water.

The first Microvenator, a hen, came up to the raft and grasped its edge, sinking in her hand claws. She was dragging herself on board, beak open in anticipation, when Bob cracked her across the back of her neck with his oar in a two-handed grip. She gave a yowling croak of shock and let go, splashing back into the water, getting in the way of two of her packmates as she bobbed back up again.

The other Microvenators closed from either side, swimming with a capability Bob would have never expected.

Their hand claws scrabbled and slashed for purchase on the raft, slicing at the roots or vines holding the outer logs in place. Bob paddled harder-it made him feel like Grant trying to escape the swimming tyrannosaur in the rubber raft with Lex and Tim in the novel, funnily enough-and to his joy, a sudden stiff breeze came up from behind, shoving at him like an invisible hand and kicking up waves that made things harder for the Microvenators.

He hit two more of them, keeping the parrotty theropods from climbing aboard. But it felt so hopeless. He might have to sacrifice one of the others. Soon, he would tire, or slip, and then-

He gave a glance at the other hypsys. They were gathered in a cluster, yelping and clucking.

An idea came to him. If they were just a bit closer, maybe…

He used his beak to nudge his companions together and have them facing the wind broadside, which was building power.

(Hold on!) he shouted, reflexively digging his foot claws into the wood of the raft and crouching forward. The other hypsys did the same, their tails flailing. The wind hit them like a slap, but they held on.

As Bob stared in apprehension and wonder, the raft suddenly got just enough speed up to leave the Microvenators behind. Their bodies, pressed tight and anchored to the raft by their clawed feet, had formed a crude sail, something to catch the wind!

Bob whooped in triumph, flinging his turtle head to the sky.

Sweeping the water again with his oar, he saw the Microvenators turn back toward shore. Whether they'd decided these weird-acting hypsys were too much trouble, or had suddenly realized they were vulnerable to crocodiles paddling in the lake like this, he'd take it!

(We've done it!) Bob cried jubilantly.

Then he felt some alarm, going down his nerves. It was a sense that went beyond Robert London as a human being as the other cocks began to yelp and cluck once more-a primal, animal fear.

He turned, expecting to see a crocodile lunging at him over the wood. But it was a Microvenator, a big cock, climbing up from behind him. This predator-perhaps the alpha male of his band-must have been clinging to the raft all this time!

The Microvenator cock hoisted himself grimly onto the raft, backing it shift and dip. His beaked mouth, two ivory triangles protruding from its roof, cracked open, and his talon claws whipped out.

Mr. London squealed and shrank back. He had good reason to.

He was a dead dino. Done for. Hypsy tartare for lunch.

But there had to be a way out of this. Something he could do. Should he jump into the possibly croc-infested water and swim for it, leave this guy to take one of the others?

Suddenly, images of battles at sea from pirate movies and books erupted in Mr. London's mind. Classic swashbuckling adventures. With Errol Flynn and the like. He managed to lift the branch he'd been using as an oar and waved and jabbed with it like a pirate's sword.

The Microvenator rattled his beak and leapt!

Bob tried to shove him off balance, but missed, nearly dropping the branch.

But it gave the Microvenator pause. This newfangled defense attempt confused him hugely.

Then Carl surged ahead of Bob, rocking back on his left leg as he slashed at the predator with his right foot, tearing feathers from his flank. The Microvenator staggered, and Carl kicked again like an ostrich, making the feathers fly a second time. Bob used the opportunity to bring his branch up and shove, knocking their attacker back into the water, even as Al darted forward and struck it a raking blow with a three-toed foot, biting it hard for good measure before letting go.

He splashed onto his back, slid underneath the raft, Bob feeling his body bump against the logs.

Then the big Microvenator cock emerged behind them, flicking his head, blinking his third eyelids, and hissing as he kept his head above water. Bob returned to rowing, while the others reformed their simple living sail under his mental commands.

When they were perhaps forty yards away, there was suddenly an explosive sound from behind them, a great churning splash.

Whipping around, Bob's left eye caught a glimpse of the jaws of a crocodile, maybe a dozen feet long, bursting out of the water to clamp down on the struggling Microvenator's shoulders like a bear trap. The cock had just enough time to give that croak-yowl of agony and crane his neck in a desperate attempt to bite the croc. But he was promptly yanked underwater to his doom. The water soon stopped churning. Then there was only a circle of spreading ripples on the surface, which weakened, then stopped.

Bob wasn't exactly sorry about what had just happened. Besides, a kill now meant that that particular crocodile-and all the other ones in this part of the lake too-wouldn't be interested in attacking them anymore for the time being.

He turned to Carl, Leo, Hal and Albert. He coaxed three of them at different points on the raft to help maintain their balance, then rowed silently, proudly, toward the insistent call that Bob felt deep within him.

And for the first time in his life, Robert London knew he had something he'd never truly had before:

Friends.

* * *

 **As ever, reviews are grand things.**


	30. Chapter 30

**And here's the exciting chapter at last, in which Henry Wu discovers his inner Badass Bookworm and fights a huge-ass raptor pack. But will it be enough to keep his original fate from catching up with him?**

* * *

 **Wu.**

" _Wu was yanked bodily out the door, and Muldoon heard Ellie screaming. Muldoon got to the door and looked out and saw that Wu was lying on his back, his body already torn open by the big claw, and the raptor was jerking its head, tugging at Wu's intestines even though Wu was still alive, still feebly reaching up with his hands to push the big head away, he was being eaten while he was still alive, and then Ellie stopped screaming and started to run along the inside of the fence, and Muldoon slammed the door shut, dizzy with horror. It had happened so fast!"_ Michael Crichton, _Jurassic Park_.

"Will they all start killing bulls one day?...Death begins in the eyes, as all hope drains out, and fate is accepted. But the dead, are not lost forever...The dead-are not dead." Jeremy Irons, Ultimate Enemies: Elephants and Lions, National Geographic Television, 2005.

* * *

Wu watched with a mesmerized horror as the Deinonychus pack surrounded and began to circle him, tails flicking vertically and eyes boring into his own whenever their gazes met.

 _Oh Holy Jesus_ , he thought sickly, waves of panic flooding across his mind. He backed up again, breathing rapid and shallow with terror.

He had ample reason to feel that way.

Of all the dinosaurs Wu and his team had resurrected from the ancient DNA, even he had to admit that, like Muldoon, the velociraptors scared the bejesus out of him.

While they were playful and docile-even affectionate-as youngsters, once they reached the age of about seven months, the raptors always underwent a chilling Jekyll and Hyde transformation.

He'd looked into the burning viper eyes of the adults before in their pen, gazing back with all the cold intelligence, amiability, defiance, and murderous designs of a serial killer. He'd leapt back in shock several times as they'd dashed out of the lush vegetation with a speed that Muldoon said was comparable to that of leopards-about thirty, thirty-five miles an hour-leaping up to-Thank God!-strike the electric fencing full force in a burst of sparks and then fall back to the ground, hissing.

He'd watched them eat goats and calves, digging the claws of their feet into their living flesh like enormous hawks, tearing at them with their backward curving, blade-like teeth, raising their heads to bolt down bloody hunks of organ meat, lengths of intestine, or simply glance at their observers, blood and saliva coating, dripping from, their muzzles like fairytale wolves, creatures whose alien, chilling cries generated a sensation in Henry Wu that felt like fingernails being raked across his soul.

Being told just a few hours ago by Patience and Zane that he'd have had his _own_ internal organs spilled out by their sickle claws and been eaten alive if things had gone on as usual didn't make his opinion of them any rosier either.

These real, genuine Deinonychus stalking him looked quite a bit different of course from the ones at the park, not least because they were stunningly, mantled in a coat of sleek feathers. But the attitudes of both groups of raptors were still chillingly similar, their eyes reminding him all too much of Charles Manson or Rasputin's.

The day before, Wu had boldly walked into the den site of a pack of Acrocanthosaurus, and that had been a nerve-racking experience too, being at the mercy of carnivores that were the size of large African elephants.

Up close, though, he wasn't sure if the raptors weren't just as bad to face. Maybe even worse. For one thing, they were eerily alert and intelligent.

The raptors began their final approach carefully, moving towards his back half. They had reason to. After all, the leopard-sized predators were going after a pretty damn big target.

Wait a minute.

Suddenly, rationality and perspective cut through Wu's brief surge of paralyzing fear, and he almost laughed.

If he was in this situation as his normal, everyday human self, he'd be essentially the living dead, no doubt.

But thankfully, he _wasn't_ in a human body at the moment. _Thank God for that_.

He went rigid and lowered his head with a growl, several raptors scattering out of his way as he charged, then stomped his front feet like a horse. But then they came back.

Wu's side-mounted eyes caught more raptors darting forward from behind, heads low as they tried to go for his calves and tail.

His response was to whirl about, deliberately bringing his heavy tail low to the ground, and charge that group too, dispersing them.

(You've chosen your quarry foolishly,) he warned them.

They startled, and looked at him in surprise.

Suddenly, one of the raptors, keeping low to the ground, dashed forward and bit his calf!

Wu immediately kicked out in response, and the raptor leapt away. He charged the group again, driving a variegated wave of raptors before and away from him, snorting and growling, finishing up with a couple stomps of his front feet.

Another raptor raced at his right flank, clawed hands extended. But Wu whirled to meet it, and the raptor changed direction to retreat.

The raptors honestly couldn't be serious, going after a dinosaur as massive as Wu was. He suspected they were either simply testing him for any signs of weakness, or just killing time, harassing him just for the hell of it.

Wu could put up with them for several minutes, stand his ground until they'd had their fun or realized they weren't going to make any progress with this potential entrée.

A raptor dashed forward, and bit Wu's left calf hard, like a trap shutting on his flesh. He gave a shocked groan and wildly kicked at it, even as he wheeled and cried, (Get out of here, you pipsqueaks!)

The Deinonychus jumped back as one, and stood in a circle, cocking their heads and blinking in confusion, lightly barking.

(So you've never been subjected to a decent conversation before,) Wu said thoughtfully, his words sending the pack into further agitation.

Wu decided to use the distraction to carefully move away, at a light, two-legged canter, not wanting to seem like he was panicked or running scared. Indeed, as the raptors began to uncertainly follow him closely, he turned his head to glance at them from his right eye, growling and grinding his teeth as he did so, hopefully letting them know he was confident and strong.

He walked for maybe several hundred yards with the pack trailing him, occasionally having to whip his tail or kick back at a raptor that got too bold or tried to bite his calves or ankles, trying to keep his breathing and gait slow and measured.

But then the pack got more aggressive.

Two of the raptors ran forward and charged his right flank. Wu wheeled to charge them, head down-and three other raptors leapt onto his left side! Another leapt onto the base of his tail, and bit down.

To his horror, Wu felt their teeth, the claws on all four limbs, stab into his flesh, the jaws yanking and tugging at his tough hide. He fully expected to also feel ghastly streaks of pain as the sickle claws jerked downward, cutting terrible slashes into his muscle. But although the raptors were gouging channels with their hands, their sickle claws were more or less staying put.

Wu deliberately ran for a large tree just a few yards away, intending to scrape the raptors off against the trunk. To his temporary relief, they saw what he meant to do and jumped free before he got there.

But now, as he turned to charge them, two more made a mock-attack from his left. Angrily, Wu rushed at them-and four more jumped on to him, slamming their claws into his body.

Then it became an awful free-for-all, with a desperate Wu barely being able to keep up with the rapid-fire attacks of the raptors.

They'd lunge at and prod him, get him to turn in their direction and charge those particular raptors, while others would leap onto his flanks or back legs, biting and sinking in their claws. Amazingly, unlike the raptors at the park, these ones didn't use their sickle claws to make ghastly wounds, using them much more like knives to stab or maybe like the "tiger claws" once used by ninjas as climbing tools. Maybe his skin was too tough for the big claws to slash through.

Wu simply could not believe the 160-pound raptors were attacking him with intent to kill. It was like a bunch of rats attacking a grown man! A third or halfway-grown Iggy would be much more their size.

But it was still happening anyway. The confidence they had in their numbers, the fact that he'd already been bleeding and tired when they'd come across him, it made them bold, willing to go for the grand prize. And come to think of it, hadn't he once seen a movie-William or something-where rats had been portrayed as swarming and killing people?

Wu's last name meant "military" or "martial," in Mandarin Chinese, he knew, and he met the attacks of the raptors with an aggression and determination befitting his surname. Over and over again, he savagely kicked backward with one of his hind feet like a horse, several times hearing a satisfying screech and feeling his sole make contact with a fragile body, sending the raptor flying!

He swung his colossal tail like a club as he'd wheel on his hind feet, forcing the raptors to jump and scramble out of the way to avoid being hit. It reminded him-ironically enough-of the dragon style of kung fu.

When one of the raptors leapt for his neck, Wu turned and grabbed its tail hard in his beak. Then he swung the scrabbling, screeching raptor like a club in his mouth, knocking two of its packmates to the ground before letting go, sending the Deinonychus flying a good thirty feet into a clump of tree ferns.

It was a vivid demonstration of how Henry Wu also had something in his favor which the Iguanodon did not. Intelligence.

As with so many other Asian Americans, Wu had had way more than his share of people ask him the ridiculous, presumptuously stereotypical question if he knew kung fu, or karate, or could fight like Bruce Lee, and so on. It got on his nerves.

But the truth was, he actually _did_ know a thing or two about martial arts. For one thing, you couldn't grow up in a household where the men of the family loved to watch action movies from Hong Kong and Taiwan without picking up at least a few things about the styles used. And Henry's father had also insisted on teaching his two sons the basic fighting moves of kung fu as boys and teenagers, if for no other purpose than how to protect themselves in a conflict situation.

He remembered clearly now one of his father's maxims about how to fight effectively.

 _Pay close attention to your surroundings. Find ways to use them to your advantage._

Despite the terrifying position he was in, Wu found the presence of mind to do just that, brushing against tree trunks and deliberately scraping his shoulders and spine and hips against low-hanging boughs to force any clinging raptors to jump off. Sometimes he would crouch down and clumsily pick up a fallen log to throw at a group of raptors, scattering them.

But for every raptor Wu dislodged or bucked off of him, three more seemed to take its place within seconds.

The favorite tactic of the raptors seemed to be to try to swarm onto his legs and thighs and flanks, use their combined weight to drag his body down, even as they continued to bite and gouge and stab with their sickle claws, making the blood pour down his sides.

He needed to up the ante.

Standing at his full height, he delved into his mind, and broadcast a tyrannosaur roar into those of the raptors.

The raptors all gave panicked squeals in tandem, practically tripping over themselves as they backpedaled and ran like burnt cats, heads wildly jerking about to detect the fearsome-sounding carnivore that had to be so near. A very welcome sight to see.

The pack ran through the forest for about a hundred feet, then stopped, milling around, looking in all directions, chittering and barking among themselves. Deciding to leave while the leaving was good, Wu did just that, warily trying to slip away unnoticed.

But to his dismay, the raptor pack couldn't be given the slip so easily. Keeping ever alert for the hulking predator whose roar they'd just heard, but still couldn't see, the raptors ran after Wu again, some darting in front of him to block his path!

(You just won't quit, will you!) he growled in frustration before giving another rex roar.

Once again, the raptors ran in terror to regroup some distance away. But as before, when Wu tried to slink away, they noticed, and followed him, returning to the attack.

Wu swung his tail, and this time projected the sound of a motorcycle engine at full blast to scare the raptors off.

It worked...but only temporarily.

He tried several other frightening sounds to drive the pack off once and for all, and each one did make from retreat-but only for a time before they turned their attentions back to Wu. Even worse, they seemed to be getting wise to his bluffs. They could hear the sounds he made in their skulls-but there was no stimuli to see, feel, or smell in tandem with it.

Wu decided to shock them. But then he thought against it. While the shocks would be effective, he couldn't do it to all the raptors at once when they attacked. And what if they decided to fight through them after a while?

What he needed to do to get the raptors off his back and leave him in peace for good was something more calculating, a single, decisive, devastating blow. But what?

Then the answer came to him.

Steeling himself, he turned to face the pack as they raced back to attack him.

( ** _Come on_**!) Wu shouted at them. ( _Come get me_!)

They were happy to oblige.

As Wu braced himself for the swarming, the pain, he watched the raptor that was in the lead, the tip of the spear. The pack jumped on him from all directions, stabbing and biting and flapping their wings as Wu roared and fought.

He felt no real terror, just a wild sort of thrill, an exhilaration that was stronger than the pain. He felt in the moment and so _alive._ This was him, and he was both desperate and ticked off.

Two leapt at his side. He wheeled, and backhanded the duo in their faces as they screamed.

One tried to leap for his throat. But Wu sidestepped and sent it flying backwards with a blow from a huge scaly hand, tumbling head over heels.

And all the while, he managed to keep an eye on what the leader of the raptor pack was doing. Wu was impressed by both their bravado and strategy. These Deinonychus were something singular, he abruptly realized then.

They were specialist Iguanodon hunters, attacking with a large enough force and a kamikaze attitude that could bring even the biggest bulls to their elbows and knees, persistently attacking and wearing the herbivore down.

Suddenly, Wu collapsed, throwing his hands forward to catch himself. Eagerly, two of the raptors darted at him from either side, leaping for his neck!

Wu ducked, causing both the raptors to collide in midair, screeching and flapping and clawing as they fell to the ground.

With a roar, he stood back up on his hind feet, muscles shaking as he swung his spiked thumbs at the raptors, tried to bite them.

And then the leader of the pack was there, swinging around from the left, ready to charge, eyes fixed on the spot where Wu's shoulder met his neck. Here was his chance.

As befitting a doctor of genetics, when Wu made his move, it was clinical, and precise.

Reaching into his mind and his culture, Henry Wu set off the booby trap.

A great string of firecrackers suddenly went off behind the alpha male Deinonychus, one after the other.

 _SNAP-SNAP-SNAP-SNAP-SNAPSNAPSNAPSNAPSNAP!_

The raptor pack detonated as well, and the alpha male yowled as he jumped a good fifteen feet in the air, wings outstretched like a black cape, his head smacking into a big cypress bough. He hit the ground running, tearing through the ferns in panic with two other raptors as they streaked by Wu.

Dropping back onto all fours, Wu lunged forward in the same motion, his sharp beak clamping down hard near the base of the head raptor's plumed,banded tail. As Wu reared up again, the Deinonychus gave a piercing scream and whipped around, all limbs flailing as he fought back desperately, hand claws slashing at, puncturing, the Iguanodon's muzzle and cheeks.

Wu's response was to clamp his eyes shut for protection and fling the raptor away from him like a Frisbee, neck muscles working as he opened his beak. The alpha male flew ten yards through the air in an arc, then crashed into the trunk of a redwood with a stomach-turning _crunch_ as the rest of his pack wailed in horror and distress.

The raptor then shakily tried to get back on his feet, to run or get away as Wu rushed forward. Several members of the pack also rushed at Wu, biting and clawing him, trying to distract him from their pack's patriarch.

But Wu wouldn't be put off as he struck the crippled raptor with his right hand, the thumb spike stabbing deep into the lean feathered chest. He pulled out, the black spike now a gruesome burgundy, kicking another raptor away as Wu then reared up like a horse and brought his front feet down on the flailing, snapping raptor again and again, feeling and hearing bones crack under the weight until the predator moved no more.

Then Wu wheeled and attacked the raptors that had been trying to interfere, catching one right on the thumb spike with a blow from his left hand, knocking one into the air with his tail, and kicking one like a football with his right foot, mercilessly giving it a good hard stomp for good measure.

They broke and ran, leaping and yelling into the forest.

Henry heard them regroup about 220 feet away, milling about as they gave deep chirps, slurred coos, and low wails to express their confusion and loss, that they'd just suffered a bitter blow and defeat. And something told Wu that this time, they weren't going to be trying their luck with him again. Or any other adult Iguanodon for quite a while after this calamity, for that matter.

Still, just to be safe, Wu shouted in their direction, (Anybody else feeling lucky? Step up, don't be shy!) he taunted.

The Deinonychus pack responded with a sharp, collective whimpering squeal of terror and ran for the hills. Gone for good, like he'd hoped.

Exhausted, Wu sat down, panting hard, foaming at his mouth from the exertions of the fight. Everything hurt. He was sore and stiff, and frankly felt like he'd just had a run in with Charlie "Tex" Watson of the Manson Family, the way he'd been stabbed full of holes by the claws of the raptors and slashed by their trident hands. He could also see several places where they'd torn chunks, strips of his living flesh from his flanks and thighs.

But he was also very pleased with himself. Like Frykowski had, Wu had fought hard for his life-and unlike the screenwriter, had succeeded. These raptors wouldn't be slashing him open and eating his intestines out today.

As he caught his breath, hide sticky with blood, his eyes swept across the scene of the desperate conflict. Three members of the Deinonychus pack lay dead or dying, and Wu was pretty sure he'd fatally injured at least two further back in the forest. They'd chosen their quarry foolishly indeed.

God, was he worn out! He wouldn't have minded dozing for four hours straight, if he could. But he couldn't stay here. The dead raptors, the smells of death and blood, might draw in acrocanths, and right now Wu felt in no shape to handle one of those.

So, reluctantly, he rose back up to all fours, head lowered as he just stood for a few more minutes.

His Iguanodon body was craving protein and minerals again. Very understandable, after all they'd been through, and the loss of blood. And, in an irony that he found both grotesque and delicious, Wu realized he knew right where to get it from.

Slowly, gingerly turning, he walked up to the crushed, broken body of the raptor pack's alpha male, feathers matted and varnished with blood. He looked like a truck had run over him.

Wu glanced at both his thumbs. His scaly hide was covered in bites and punctures, covered in runnels and smears of his blood. But the stiff stilettos on each hand were also covered in fresh blood-and he wasn't its owner. It all made him feel somewhat oddly smug. Muldoon would be proud.

He lowered his head to the raptor's carcass.

(Disembowel me and eat _my_ intestines, will you?) Wu muttered, ribs snapping in yet more places as he bit into the dinosaur's chest.

He ate the entire torso of the alpha raptor, then bit off and crunched up the legs. Refreshing and satisfying in more ways than one.

* * *

 **When Jurassic Park was written in 1989, it was widely thought that the sickle-shaped claws on the sickle claws of Deinonychus, Velociraptor, and their kin were used like machetes on prey, producing deep, ghastly slashes which spilled the guts of plant-eaters. Tests with model claws and legs though, and closer examination of the killing claws are telling a less dramatic story about how they were used. When used to kick at actual flesh, the sickle claws were able to puncture it just fine, yes-but they didn't part it and make gashes. And the front third of the claws is straight in shape, with no signs of an edge to them in life.**

 **So it now seems that the sickle claws of raptors were used not for slashing prey, but for hooking into it, for stabbing, for climbing up a living large animal as it struggled, its own movements working them deeper into its flesh, for holding smaller animals down in the same way as modern hawks or eagles, the raptor using its jaws and hand claws to do the damage instead. I've tried to reflect these new findings in this chapter as best I can with my description of the attack.**

 **The idea that raptors were able to run anywhere close to the "cheetah speeds" mentioned in the book or first film is pure hype as well. Instead, the relative length of their femur and leg bones shows that they actually weren't all that fast as theropod dinosaurs went, and were slower at a run than living flightless birds. So it seems that Deinonychus and its kin went in more for ambushing prey from cover than running it down in a chase-like leopards do today. And since Deinonychus was about the size of a leopard, it personally made sense to me that their top speeds would be in the same ballpark as well.**

 **As for the references to "Tex" Watson and Wojciech Frykowski-all I'm going to say is that if those names don't ring any bells, you'll learn all you need-or perhaps really, really didn't-to know by reading a copy of the utterly blood-chilling true crime classic known as Helter Skelter, by Vincent Bugliosi. Then again, maybe you shouldn't read it. Wikipedia can inform you just as well.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Wu.**

With the ghastly meal over, the salty taste of blood in his mouth, Wu dropped back onto all fours and walked away from the scene of conflict. Gloating wasn't his thing. In spite of his pain and stiffness, he still managed to have a spring in his step, that of a creature victorious. Once more, he could barely believe he was still alive.

As he trudged further down into the valley, Wu smelt water nearby. In spite of having nearly died in a flash flood, he found himself craving a drink in the worst way. He was just parched. And maybe he could give the wounds that covered his punctured body a good soak too, wash the blood away and clean them out.

The smell of water came from the right and ahead, and Wu gingerly veered in its direction. A mile and a half of walking through the forest, and it opened up before him to reveal a two-acre pond, ringed with horsetails and speckled with water lilies, from which a creek flowed.

Gratefully, Wu waded into the pond on all fours, frogs leaping and turtles scrambling out of his way, and brought his beak to the water, drinking deep as he shut his eyes. Thirst slaked, Wu then walked even further in and submerged his massive body, rolling and letting the cool liquid cover his flanks, his back, his tree-trunk tail, even ducking his head underwater and raising it out again. It felt fantastic, having the blood and bits of bark and dirt break up and disperse, leaving his scaly skin clean once more.

Then Wu laid down in the water, leaving only his head and neck sticking into the air, like in illustrations of the Loch Ness Monster. He'd continue on his journey to get back to the others. In just a few minutes.

For the moment though, he could spend a half hour or so resting in the clean, cool water, letting it flush out his wounds and ease his painful, stiff body. He hung his horse head, shutting his eyes as he just enjoyed the feel of the sun on his exposed portions.

Wu stayed that way for maybe twenty minutes in that half-asleep state, hearing the frogs croak and insects and birds sing around him. Other than the odd bird or small pterosaur swooping down to snatch an insect or scoop water from the pond's surface, none of the forest's other creatures disturbed him.

Then, Wu was jolted from his pleasant lethargy by the smell of another large dinosaur.

 _Cow alert_ , his brain said. _Cow alert_.

Wu curiously raised his head and stood back up on all fours as he gingerly stretched his painful back legs and yawned. Was a breeding herd coming to drink or bathe?

He was mildly surprised when, walking through the ferns, came a lone older cow, in the typical traveling posture of all fours, cautiously paying attention for any possible danger. Why was she alone?

The older cow noticed him, and stopped. Wu stood still as she raised her head thoughtfully, partly shutting her eyes, then opening them again as she lightly grunted at him. A friendly greeting.

 _What the hell_ , Wu decided as he then did the same. Even if she was just some random dinosaur, he was happy for some friendly company out here at last.

Then, the cow fully revealed her massive body, stepping out of the tree ferns and shadows into the open. And then Wu realized why she was alone.

The stiffness to her left hind leg as she walked was what he noticed first. Then he saw the awkward way she held her foot, seldom touching the ground. He inwardly frowned as it hit him. Her foot was broken, hanging at an unnatural angle.

Perhaps she'd fallen down a hill, been chased by an overly amorous bull, or maybe her herd had gotten spooked by something or other, and this Iguanodon had had the misfortune to trip over a log or boulder. However it had happened, she hadn't been able to keep up with her herd, and without a Dr. Harding here to provide treatment, although she was otherwise healthy and feeding, Wu knew that this Iggy was now the living dead with such an injury.

He walked out of the water as she limped toward him, soft goat eyes thoughtful as she extended her long beaky head and sniffed him. She then excitedly sniffed the scabbing wounds on his chest and flank, groaning as if in commentary before calmly turning away and pacing into the water to drink.

Wu meditatively watched her as she drank. Two competing ideals warred within him.

Anthropomorphism. That was the practice of projecting or assuming human emotions, intentions, or other mental states to animals. It was something no responsible scientist had any time for, one of the first things you cast away in the objective, empirical, strict evidence-focused world of academia. It was silly. It was something out of Disney or The Far Side cartoons. Henry Wu scorned anthropomorphism, including towards the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar.

And yet…

After spending two days quite literally in the head of a dinosaur, he'd come to grasp their inner lives to a degree he never could have at the park. They weren't very bright or clever animals, to be sure-but they also weren't organic robots either. They felt pleasure and pain, had feelings and even simple thoughts about the things that happened to them, experienced fear and distress, joy and curiosity.

Maybe Zane was right. Maybe "updating" or "culling" dinosaurs at the park was a task or decision he'd been a lot more cavalier about than he rightfully should have been. Okay, it was! And he suddenly, once more, felt shamed and guilty.

Looking hard at the Iguanodon cow as she drank, as if for the first time, he decided to try a bit of anthropomorphism for once. As a herding, social animal, she had to want company. The bull Iggy he was in desired some female company. And Henry Wu too, wanted companionship of any sort too. After all he'd just endured, he wanted companionship in the worst way.

Wu waited until she'd finished drinking, and began to move away from the waterhole. Then he made his move.

(Hello.) he said simply.

The cow startled at the exotic voice in her head, looking about her.

(It's me,) Henry said. (I know this makes no sense in the least, but I'm the one talking. The bull. The one who's really had a very rough afternoon.)

The cow raised her head, then tilted it, tail slowly lashing as her eyes goggled, unsure of if he was dangerous or not. Hesitatingly, she began to grind her teeth, jaws sliding back and forth.

(You can trust me,) Wu gently told her. (I'm just a little different for a little while, that's all.)

The cow quailed, very softly moaning and sliding her fore feet forwards, holding up one arm to display a thumb spike.

Not feeling ridiculous at all for engaging with a pea-brained dinosaur in such a way, Wu made no move as he began to softly sing a traditional Chinese song to her, "Jasmine Flower." He then projected the breathy, haunting sound of panpipes being played.

The crippled cow's muscles relaxed, and she tilted her long head again, eyes filled with what seemed like wonder at the music. Perhaps she even liked it too.

(You know,) he offered once he was done, the scientific part of him chuckling and scoffing at how ludicrous this all was, (I'm going to continue on traveling now. I'm going to find the well, sort of herd I got separated from, and then we're going to solve this mystery at a place called Ground Zero. Are you interested in coming along?)

Not that she could possibly understand him of course.

The crippled cow gave a light, honking croak in reply. Wu decided that was sufficient for a yes, and once more began to walk up the valley, in the direction of the pull, the limping cow falling into step at his right hip.

It felt good, having an approachable companion at his side again. To be true, the Iguanodon wasn't much of a talker, and tended to either stare off into space or eat some ferns whenever Wu chose to do some talking of his own. Still, at least she wasn't trying to assault him, and it was certainly welcome to have an extra pair of eyes, ears, and nostrils around to detect any predators.

They followed the stream from the pond, stopping now and again whenever one of them halted, feeding together for a few minutes, and then moving on.

After flowing for three-quarters of a mile, the stream drained into a great river. Standing erect and looking about, Wu was just able to see that far upstream, the river in turn flowed out of a large, narrow lake. Beyond that were brooding mountains…among which Ground Zero lay, somewhere.

(That's where we've got to go,) Wu commented offhandedly, turning and wading through the chuckling creek.

The crippled cow gave a droning grunt, as if in acknowledgement, and followed.

Keeping the river on their right, both of them walked upstream through the forest at a sedate pace, keeping a good two hundred feet from the bank. While this river's channel was narrower, the banks steeper, and there wasn't any sign of another flash flood in the cards, Wu didn't feel like tempting fate.

They slipped among the trees and stepped over logs for a while, the cow walking in jerky hops. Naturally, now and again, either she or Wu would raise their heads to sniff the air and perform a theropod scan. Nothing concerning.

But then, as Wu walked, great shoulders working, he suddenly caught a new, fresh, troubling scent on the breeze. It smelt like monitor lizard, like a trash can and rotting meat, like crocodiles and chicken feces. It smelt like Patience.

It smelt like an Acrocanthosaurus!

He jerked into an upright stance, quickly scanning the trees. So did the crippled cow as best she'd could, who'd caught the scent herself, twisting and turning, drawing close to Wu for security. She snorted and waved her tail in agitation.

(Patience?) Wu said tensely, in what he knew was a blind hope. (Is that you there?)

Suddenly, from two different directions, two subadult acrocanthosaurs erupted from the forest five hundred and fifty feet away, making no sound except for ferns and bushes and fallen branches being steamrolled as the elephant-sized theropods charged them with astonishing speed, racing through the forest with huge strides, eyes locked on Wu and his companion.

Not Patience.

With a shocked nasal whinny, Wu automatically bolted, legs pounding over the forest floor. Looking back along his flanks, he saw the cow break into a frantic, hobbling run after him as the acrocanths came for her. It was a race she had no chance of winning. None, and a sickened pity welled up within Wu at the sight.

She'd be run down easily, within seconds, grabbed by the flank or hip, and flung to the ground, where she'd then be overpowered and eaten alive, having great chunks of her living flesh and organs torn from her body.

Suddenly, Wu turned around, and began running back _toward_ the crippled cow instead.

She seemed distinctly surprised, seeing him unexpectedly race back in her direction, despite the acros bearing down on them.

She was even more surprised and shocked when he reared up, spread his arms apart, and then slammed both thumb spikes deep into her neck, puncturing her carotid arteries.

(It's kinder for you this way,) he told her softly as he pulled back, her eyes closing as she gave a hollow, moaning bellow, then collapsed to the forest floor, dying.

With only seconds to spare before the pair of acros arrived, Wu then whirled about, and ran as fast as he could, seeing the huge theropods leap at the dying Iguanodon, ravenously tearing at her flank and shoulders.

Wu slowed after a few hundred yards, and continued his journey, once more alone and lost in thought. None of them involved regret. Pity maybe, but not regret.

He'd done what he had to do, no two ways about it. Sure, he could've driven the acros off with lightning, rex roars, tear gas, or some other psychically generated phenomena. But when it came down to brass tacks, it would've only bought the crippled Iggy cow some extra time. With a broken foot and no way to treat it, it had and would only be a matter of not _if_ a predator would kill her, but simply when. He'd done the right thing.

It also occurred to him he'd had just a few too many life-threatening experiences happen to him this afternoon. Between the flash flood and the acros, it certainly seemed as if anything that could go wrong for him, had gone wrong. And frankly, while Wu didn't believe in the concept of some capricious divinity which chose to subject certain human beings to repeated torments and trials to punish or test them, a part of his mind was starting to really wonder…

Having the raptor pack show up and try to kill him, just hours after Zane and Patience had told of how he would have died under the claws of the park's velociraptors-but by doing so, avert that from ever occurring now-was definitely uncanny, to say the least.

The thought brought his mother to mind. She was a big believer in the idea of predestined fates, that no matter how much you tried to escape or avoid something that was written in your stars or tea leaves, it would catch up with you sooner or later anyhow. Destiny struggled to have its way with you, no matter what. Well, if that was so, the raptors had quite happily, failed at their task a second time.

With the resident Deinonychus pack having received a major thrashing at his hands, and the only acros around here-that he knew about-occupied, Wu was pretty confident that there'd be no more problems from them as he made his way along the river, then the lake, making a stop to have a drink at one point.

Still, he couldn't help but be on edge. After all he'd gone through, who knew what was possibly going to happen next now? With the luck he'd recently been having, for all he knew, maybe some random bolt of lightning was going to hit him, or a violent earthquake would take place in the next ten minutes. He hoped in earnest that all the excitement was well and truly over for the day.

It also made him long to be back with the others more than ever-to say nothing of his human body and time.

But nothing happened as he soldiered on, attentive for any signs of trouble. No more acros. No trees suddenly about to fall on him. No random pits or sinkholes randomly opening up beneath his feet. No earthquakes.

Everything actually seemed fine, peaceful, and safe.

The only dinosaur he encountered was a lone Sauroposeidon bull, two-thirds grown, strolling and feeding through the forest with regal indifference. Small pterosaurs and birds hawked for flushed insects and other creatures from his vast back.

The sight both impressed Henry Wu and made him feel inexplicably sad. Standing there in the cathedral of mature conifer forest, ferns and flowers carpeting the ground, taking in the colors and patterns on the huge sauropod's skin, his majesty and grace and power-it all reminded Wu of the plain fact that although he and his fellow researchers could clone these extinct giants from amber, they'd never be able to make them appear like the real, long-vanished things, free and at home in their native prehistoric forests.

It also made him internally frown to consider the vast, nearly incapable of grasping amount of time that these creatures, the non-avian members of Dinosauria, in all their diversity, magnificence, and varied behaviors had lived and evolved during their reign, generation after generation, genus after genus, hatching, growing, living their allotted lifespan, and then dying in these unforgiving prehistoric landscapes. All the while, there had been no intelligent eye and mind to appreciate them in the flesh and as the dynamic, varied, living creatures they were. Until the M.I.N.D. Machine and Hammond's dream of course. It really did seem like such a waste from that perspective, Wu thought bleakly.

It further reinforced the humbling understanding that whether extinct or contemporary, animals existed for their own sake, not that of humankind. Their struggles and triumphs, their loves and hates, their joys and distress, their struggles for existence, their vigorous lives under the sun and moon, and their eventual, often premature and brutal deaths, were solely focused on their own well-being and passing on their chance at immortality: their DNA.

Near the northern end of the lake, thirst once again made Wu turn to the east and walk down to the shore, striding out onto a gravel spit. As Wu drank, his eyes swiveled in their sockets, pupils staying level with the ground so that he could continue to scan for any hint of danger, even as he admired the glittering, dark blue of the lake, ringed with grand conifers.

And so it was that he noticed a group of five male Hypsilophodon. Nothing unusual about that, at first glance. But it was where they were, and what they were doing, that made Wu do a double take.

They were out on the brilliant sparkling water, riding on a raft! And-no, impossible-one of them was actually using a branch like an oar, rowing to push it along!

Then Wu understood, amazement and relief and delight surging up within him as he stood erect.

As if to provide further conformation, the rowing hypsy suddenly broke out into song.

(Oh, the boatman dance, the boatman sing, the boatman do most anything. Hey, ho, boatman go-)

(Sailing down the river on the Ohio!) Wu mischievously finished for him.

(WHAAA!) Mr. London cried in surprise, nearly jumping out of his skin and dropping the oar. Standing tall, he cocked his head. So did his four companions. (Wu? Is that really you? What in the world are you doing here? Are the others nearby?)

(Yes, it's me,) Wu replied. As if there were any other talking Iguanodons back here. (And no, I'm actually on my own.)

Mr. London gasped. (You don't mean to tell me-)

(It's nothing like that,) Wu quickly assured him. (Everybody's okay, trust me. I got separated from them by a flash flood a few hours ago, and have been trying to get back to them ever since.)

Even with his poor focus and the distance between them, Wu was pretty sure he saw Mr. London's eyes widen under his shelving brows.

(You mean to tell me you actually survived a flash flood Henry? I can only imagine what that must've been like,) the hypsy said, emitting a whistle. (And here I thought my ride on the twister was intense.)

(I did,) Wu confirmed. (And a lot of other things too. You wouldn't believe what I've gone through over the past few hours Bob,) he added, shaking his long head and shuddering.

Mr. London started laughing, replying, (And I could just as readily say the same thing!)

(It looks like you've found some new friends,) Wu commented, eyeing the other four hypsy cocks on the raft, who were staring at this new talking dinosaur and gently yelping and clucking among themselves.

(That I have,) Mr. London confirmed. (Hang on, I'll paddle over and introduce them properly to you. I don't suppose you could dive in and give us an assist?)

Wu had actually been thinking about doing that, and began to wade into the water-when suddenly, on the far bank of the lake, he saw three huge crocodiles basking on the sand. One turned its head in his direction, and thoughtfully began to creep toward the water…

(Sorry Bob, but I think I'll have to take a raincheck on that,) Wu replied as he backed out. (I've already had two kinds of predators try to kill me today, and I don't want to risk a third strike.)

(Understandable,) Bob nodded, beginning to paddle to the bank.

As the raft came ashore, Mr. London leapt from the logs and quickly ran across the gravel to Wu, saying (I am happy beyond words to see you again, Henry,) as he opened his arms and hugged his right arm.

Touched, Wu inwardly smiled as he cupped his left hand and wrist around the teacher, telling him, (And so am I Bob.)

Raising his head, Mr. London suddenly recoiled, eyes widening as he looked up at Wu's chest and flank.

(Good Lord,) he gasped in shock. (What the hell happened to you Henry? You look like someone went after you with a giant knife or dagger!)

(That's essentially what happened to me,) Wu told him. (The last few hours for me have just been one damn thing after another. Being attacked by another Iguanodon bull, then by an ambitious pack of raptors, chased by a pair of acros…I definitely got my share of war wounds.)

(No kidding,) Mr. London grunted pointedly. Then his tone became grave.

(Speaking of you being attacked by raptors,) he uncertainly started, (There's no easy way to really let the cat out of the bag here, but since we'll most likely be parting ways at Ground Zero tomorrow, I feel a responsibility to let you know that, uh, well-)

Wu knew where this was going. Holding up his left hand, he cut Mr. London off.

(Save your breath,) he told the hypsy softly. (Patience and Zane already told me-told all of us-about what happens to the park in the novel. And to me,) he added, squelching a shudder.

Bob seemed briefly surprised, then relieved. That was one thing off his shoulders.

(I'm greatly sorry about what takes place with-well, you know,) the hypsy commented sympathetically. (I mean, I can only imagine how horrif-)

(Don't mention it,) Wu interjected flatly. (In all seriousness, please don't. Thankfully, now we'll be able to take proper steps to turn things around though, and avert the disaster that would've happened.)

(I'm sure Nedry isn't pleased with having been exposed. He did get exposed, didn't he?)

(Oh, he's as mad as a crocodile with a toothache,) Wu replied. (And he's really bitter and sulky right now, so watch yourself when we see him again.)

(I shall. I suppose you're going to have him placed under arrest when all three of you get back?)

Wu sighed. (I'm actually not sure. I mean, I can understand why he intended to do what he was going to do, and he also technically hasn't actually committed the act of sabotage as yet. So I'm not sure how Rob and I are going to handle things with him when we get back to the park. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, I suppose.)

Bob nodded.

(Anyway,) Wu said, switching to a different topic as he regarded the other four hypsys, cocking their heads and curiously looking at this intimidating giant, (who are your new traveling companions here Bob?)

Pointing with his right hand, Bob informed him, (I met these guys soon after I got out of the lake the tornado jumped me into. Anyway, that one's Al, that one's Carl, that one's Leo, and that one's Hal,) the hypsy said, gesturing at each one in turn.

Wu inwardly smiled. (May I assume you named him after a certain coldly homicidal computer in a Stanley Kubrick movie? I love that film,) he said fondly.

Bob laughed. (Guilty as charged,) he admitted. (Thankfully, this Hal is generally a lot more sociable. And I like that movie too.)

Imitating the computer's distinctive monotone voice, Wu inwardly grinned as he said, (Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over.)

Wu then noticed one of the hypsys staring especially intently at his head.

(Who's that again?) he asked Mr. London. (And any reason he's showing such interest in my head?)

(That's Carl,) Bob replied. (Curious about everything. And he has reason to be, since you're the first talking Iguanodon he's ever seen. So like his namesake, he can't help but try and figure it out.)

It clicked with Wu then.

(Good name for him,) he agreed. (Sagan is such a truly brilliant man, and Cosmos has to be one of the most superbly done, educational and awe-inspiring, television series I've ever come across. Watched every minute of it when it aired on PBS.)

(So did I,) Mr. London said, with an odd quality of melancholy and loss in his voice. Snapping out of it, he then shook himself, saying (We need to get going though.)

Wu nodded, and together they set off through the forest, Wu feeling like a freighter among yachts.

Mr. London filled Wu in about his repeated, harrowing encounters with the Microvenators, the Sauroposeidon, making a raft and having the three Iggy bulls help him, and then the "sea battle" with the Microvenator pack.

In his turn, Wu then proceeded to tell Bob London about everything that had happened with their group since the twister had whisked the teacher away, and then all the intense things that had happened to him, starting with the flash flood and ending with the acros.

(Well,) Bob said in shock and surprise. (Wow. You're right, Henry. And here I thought I've had a rough time on my own. At least I came out of it unmarked.)

(It was no walk in the park,) Wu agreed gravely. (But I think it's all over now. At least, I hope so. And I'm sure glad to have come across someone I know again.)

(So am I,) Mr. London agreed. (I've also had my fill of going it alone in the age of dinosaurs-of being in this dino body, for that matter, fun as it was-and am eager for this particular "tesseract" I've brought about with the M.I.N.D. Machine to finally get ironed out, if you catch my drift.)

(Ahh, _A Wrinkle In Time_ ,) Wu said understandingly, with nostalgic fondness. (By Madeline L'engle. I loved that book so much as a boy, along with plenty of her other works. _A Wind in the Door_. _A Swiftly Tilting Planet_. _The Arm of the Starfish_. _Dragons in the Waters_.)

(Can count them among my childhood favorites too,) Bob said.

(Personally, looking back on it,) Wu went on thoughtfully, (I think her books played no small part in forming me into the person I am today, as a scientist. I longed to be like Dr. Jack Murry, like Dr. O' Keefe, and most certainly their children, to go on incredible adventures through space and time, to achieve astounding scientific breakthroughs and make the fantastic become real. And I ended up fulfilling that boyhood desire in a way I never could've imagined even in my wildest dreams,) he proudly added as he looked at the hypsys darting and clicking and scratching themselves around them, inwardly smiling.

(That's for sure,) Bob earnestly agreed. (To bring dinosaurs back to life, for the whole world to marvel at and enjoy, make one of the human race's greatest wishes come true, is an incredible achievement any way you slice it Henry, and you have every right to be damned proud of it. And if Dr. Murry was somehow here as an entity with his children, I'm certain that your inspirations would be too.)

(Thank you. I appreciate hearing that,) Wu inwardly smiled, pleased by the recognition. (And as I said back in the swamp, this adventure is every bit as incredible and enlightening as anything out of a science-fiction book or series.)

(To put it mildly. A fantastic voyage indeed.)

Wu stopped to devour several tree ferns, Bob's companions eagerly gathering around to grab and eat any bits that fell from his beak.

When Henry Wu spoke again, he gave a meditative sigh, then said to the hypsy, (Speaking of A Wrinkle In Time…) He trailed off.

(Yes?) Bob gently coaxed.

(This isn't easy to admit to anyone,) Wu began reluctantly, (least of all myself, but I've been thinking recently, especially after finding out what the ultimate fate of Jurassic Park would've been, if-if I've been just a bit too much like the The Happy Medium of the book. You know, refusing to look at or acknowledge the potential dangers in the park or the dinosaurs, the curve balls that could come our way, being willfully ignorant towards the things that aren't so pleasant to look at.)

(That's very noble of you to admit, Dr. Wu,) Bob said gently. (And very brave. Believe me, it's not easy to face up to your own shortcomings and flaws. You really showed some maturity there just now.)

(Thanks for the praise. But just tell me Bob, yes or no?)

The hypsy cocked his head. (If you want me to be perfectly frank, yes, to some degree, you have been like The Happy Medium.)

(But Hammond has been far more so, if I remember correctly from the book,) Bob added. (At least _you_ had enough sense in your skull Henry, to recognize and try to do something about at least some of the problems that were brewing up trouble for the park, such as not having proper equipment and weapons to handle the dinosaurs-Problems that went far deeper than Nedry. Ultimately, I'd say he had-or has-his fingers crammed just a bit too deeply into his ears.)

(Describes him all too perfectly,) Wu muttered, shaking his long head. (Complete denial and evasiveness, that's John Hammond, I'm afraid.)

(It really does shock me,) Bob said, (whenever I read the book, how remarkably bare-bones and vulnerable the security and infrastructure was/is at the park, with flaws that by all rights, should've been recognized and corrected far earlier in development. I think it's safe to say you and Muldoon will be redoubling your efforts for greater security when you get back?)

(Oh, absolutely,) Wu replied levelly. (A backup generator in every building, a ranger for every even potentially dangerous species at the park, maybe even every individual animal, having the velociraptors put down, _smuggling_ firearms in if we have to, being a lot more discriminating with what species whose DNA we use to repair the gaps in the genome in my lab…I could rattle off a laundry list.)

(At the same time though,) he sighed, (I never thought I would ever say anything like this, but maybe, as much as I hate to admit it…I suppose Malcolm actually did/does know what he was talking about with me, my team of geneticists, and the park. Not that the thought doesn't make me more than a bit angry though,) he growled, grinding his teeth in a back-and-forth motion.

(Understandable,) Mr. London sympathized. (We all want to believe as human beings-especially knowledgeable, scientifically trained people like us-that we know what we're doing, that we have things where they should be whenever we go about an undertaking. And most of the time, things actually do end up going fine. But as my father used to say-and he was a scientist himself, interestingly enough-the minute that you think you have everything under control, have things figured out…)

(Is the minute you get proven wrong,) Wu reluctantly finished.

(I certainly thought I had things figured out when I chose to turn on the machine,) Bob sighed, looking away.

Wu nodded.

Bob laughed. (For intelligent men with graduate degrees and dazzling IQs, we've sure been blind about some things, made some real mistakes of late, haven't we Henry? Talk about being singularly inexperienced.)

(Though we're also fine men, and worth teaching,) Wu warmly replied, inwardly smiling.

(Yes. Very much worth teaching,) Bob agreed. (And worth saving.)

(I owe quite a bit of that teaching to Patience-whether I wanted to have it or not.)

As both Wu and Mr. London had been walking, and engrossed in conversation, they'd left the north end of the lake behind, other hypsys in tow, and found themselves leaving the ancient forest, the landscape becoming steeper in elevation, transforming into an expanse of limestone and granite ridges and hills.

They were starting to make their way up a stony, conifer speckled ridge as Bob began to say in amusement, (I can certainly bel-)

And then they were both stopped in their tracks by a wonderful, totally unexpected thing that entered their heads, from the other side of the ridge.

Voices. Human voices! Including Patience's!

(Well, speak of the devil,) Mr. London said fondly, in growing excitement. And they both began running to the ridge top.

* * *

 **Looks like we'll be seeing a reunion next chapter.**

 **Reviews are wonderful things.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Patience.**

(NO! _Henry_!) Patience helplessly cried out again as, in what seemed like awful slow-motion, the brown tsunami of water smashed into Wu, knocking him off his feet and then engulfing him.

(Oh Christ!) Muldoon exclaimed.

Nedry gasped and goggled.

(No! Henry, _no_!) Zane moaned.

Patience had just enough presence of mind not to try to run into the thick of the flash flood, running and splashing through the shallow margins instead, trying to keep visual contact with the struggling Iguanodon as he was swept downstream in the frothing torrent.

She couldn't believe it. Once more, just like with Mr. London, someone she'd come to care about was being cruelly taken away from her! Not again, he thought.

( _Henry!)_ she cried out again. (Swim here!)

To her horror, she then saw him disappear under the roiling surface. _Oh God!_

Desperately, her eyes flicked back and forth to scan the torrent. And she was just able to see him appear above the surface, to her great relief…seconds before he then vanished around a bend in the river. It felt like a big piece of her heart went with him at that moment too.

A numb feeling crept over her, through Patience as she continued to stare downstream, shocked at what'd just happened. As the others splashed over, she gave them no acknowledgement.

As the loss sunk in, like the blade of a knife, she suddenly made a low, wrenching sound of grief, and dropped onto her backward-folding ankles, roaring in despair several times.

(He's gone,) she said helplessly. (Henry's dead! He's dead and drowned!)

(We don't know that,) Muldoon carefully said as he came up on her right side. (It looks bad for him, but don't write him off so quickly, Patience.)

(He's dead, Rob!) Patience choked out empathetically. (I know it and you know it, so don't try to give me false hope just to comfort me.)

(I don't give anyone false hope,) Muldoon said. (Say what you like about his chances, but I know Henry well enough by now that I can confidently tell you this much: He is an amazingly smart man Patience. Trust me, if there is any way for him to survive these floodwaters, he'll find it.)

Then Zane abruptly tensed, raising his head high and intently staring at something.

(There he is!) Zane cried. (I just saw him through a gap in the trees, for only a sec or two, but it was definitely him, still in the river!)

(How did he look?) Muldoon asked, glancing up at Zane's head. (Did he still look okay? Was he trying to get to the bank?)

(He was still alive,) Zane confirmed. (Head above the water, still swimming-but he was swimming with the current, not trying to get to the bank.)

Muldoon nodded. (He must've realized that fighting the current or facing it broadside would only tire him out or get his body tumbled sideways. Good man,) he said softly.

(Then all he has to do is wait until the flood peters out, climb ashore, and hook back up with us at Ground Zero. You hear that Patience? Henry should be all right.)

Rage exploded inside Patience, and she leapt to her feet with a roar of fury, made all the stronger by her grief.

(Shut up!) she bellowed at Zane, who frantically backpedaled as she stomped toward him. (Don't talk to me! Wu's gone now, and it's all your fault, because you had to freak out over stupid Runt, make us look for him, and then keep us _further_ delayed by having to save a bunch of goddamn baby prehistoric bat-)

(I didn't _make_ anyone do a thing!) Zane shot back, holding up a front foot in defense. (You all could've just waited where you were until I'd found Runtand brought him back, you know! And did you expect me to somehow psychically know a flash flood was going to hit?)

(Well, the fact that the water was rising around the island should've been a tipoff of things to come,) Nedry sneered. (If you'd just had the sense to leave those dumb pterodactyl chicks to sink or swi-)

(Oh, don't pretend you have a leg to stand on,) Patience snapped, turning on the troodontid with a growl. (Wu wanted to stay out of Zane's escapade, and only came along because you had to act like a whiny little spiteful _**child**_ and ditch us!) she snarled, so angry that she actually tried to kick him. (It's just as much your fault.)

(Enough!) Muldoon commanded, rushing out in front of the acro and lashing his long tail as he bellowed. (Do you hear me Patience? We can assign blame later, and frankly, it isn't going to accomplish a bloody thing or get us any closer to having Henry back.)

(We've got to go look for him,) Patience declared frantically. (See if he's still okay, or-or…) She couldn't say the word. Couldn't even _think_ about it.

(But this flood could've carried him for miles,) Nedry warily pointed out. (There's no telling where he might end up.)

(I don't care,) Patience declared firmly. (I'm going to find him, one way or the other, or at least have some closure if he's-you know,) she choked.

(And we'll go with you,) Muldoon gently said. (But first, let's get to Ground Zero, meet with Will, and take stock of what we need to do tomorrow before the sun sets. Then we'll try to find him.)

(Nuh-uh,) Patience said flatly, shaking her head. (I'm not going to turn my back on him Rob, not if I can help it. I care about him, and he'd look for me too, if the same thing had just happened to me. If you don't want to help me, I'll find Henry on my own!)

(Patience,) Muldoon urged. (Listen. Listen to me. We know that you care about Henry deeply, and are very anxious about him. All of us are too, believe me. Worried sick.)

(But worrying really doesn't do much good in the end,) Muldoon added. (If Henry truly has come to grief, then the damage has already been done by now, and a few hours would make no difference-but as with Mr. London, we'd know it, deep down, if he was truly no more. I'm sure he's fine, and probably out of that flood by now even as we speak.)

Patience desperately wanted to be able to believe the game ranger.

(All right,) she reluctantly conceded. (We'll keep on marching, get to Ground Zero, and hook up with Will. But then we're coming back here, together. And we are going to search the banks downstream of here until we find him, _okay?_ )

(Sure,) Zane replied meekly, nodding.

(You can count on me,) Nedry chimed in. (Scout's honor.)

(You don't even have to ask,) Muldoon said.

(Is that a promise?) Patience fervently asked them, glancing at all three. (You'll help me search all night for him if we have to?) she pleaded, voice becoming choked with emotion.

(All night,) Muldoon assured her.

(Okay. Okay.)

With a heavy heart, filled with inexpressible reluctance and regret, she turned her back on the churning river, on Wu- _only for now_ , she reminded herself-and their party left the scene at last…Zane meekly trailing far, far behind.

No one spoke as they walked, everyone subdued and quiet, with too many thoughts in their heads.

At one point, Nedry complained that his feet were becoming sore, and Muldoon reluctantly allowed the programmer to take a ride seated on his armored back, muttering how he'd never imagined he'd be (…a bloody prehistoric Land Rover.) Although less eager than her bold and quirky mate, Harriet hesitantly decided to hop aboard too.

Then more silence. Eventually it began to grate on her nerves.

For the longest time, it had been her deepest wish that Zane would put a sock in it. She'd heard enough of his retarded knock-knock and other jokes to last a lifetime, and she had absolutely no desire to sing along to silly songs or play lame road trip games like "Bury The Tenontosaurs," in which you counted as many members of a Tenontosaurus herd that you saw as you could, and repeated until you came across some dinosaur bones, at which point you shouted (Bury them!) and began counting again. Nedry seemed to enjoy playing along though.

And besides, it made it all too easy for the worry and fear about Henry to gnaw mercilessly at her.

But ever since they'd faced the raptors at the river and Wu had been swept away, Zane had been moody and quiet, obviously down on himself. Even Runt was unable to cheer him up.

In frustration, the baby sauropod actually stopped following them. So Patience began to make the odd interesting, exotic sound, and had also picked some tree fern fronds, which Nedry had then tied to Zane's tail, all to help lure the little guy along.

She hoped that would get some comment out of the blubber-bellied long-neck.

It didn't. He simply endured the indignity, raising his tail when Patience told him to, lowering it so Runt could rake loose bites when he was being a good little dinosaur.

Twilight was now approaching, and now Patience could feel that mental pull within her growing quite intense-the signal that Ground Zero was now very near.

She noted that the land around them had changed. The hills had now become dramatic mountains as they made their way through a rust-colored valley. Amber, crimson, and violet streaked the sky.

Patience decided that in the interest of hearing another human voice in her head, and to quit obsessively thinking about the unthinkable, she was willing to make the supreme sacrifice.

(Hey Zane?) she said, trying to get his attention. (I'm ready for more of those girly-girl lessons, if you want.)

Zane was silent. His exposed pencil-shaped teeth made it look like he was scowling.

(I can be of some service if you want,) Muldoon offered.

Patience shook her head, giving up. She lightly sniffed and caught the scent of carrion. Something that appealed to her acro instincts.

She broke away from them at a trot, and approached an expanse of sticky mud that abutted the base of a mountain.

(Where are you going Patience?) Muldoon asked, bemused.

(For a snack,) she replied, her feet squelching in the muck as she waded in. She saw that the mud was churned by the feet of other animals that had been here previously.

Muldoon then became oddly nervous, crying, (I wouldn't do that Patience! Get out of it!)

But she still took a few more steps. It was just mud, after all.

She was in the tarry mud up to her muscular thighs when she felt her weight starting to pull her down.

Panic suddenly stabbed through her, even as her primal hunger began to flood her acro brain with a feverish desire to surge forward, to get to the carrion no matter what, and then-

WHACK! A deep, baritone whooping roar!

The sounds made her jump! Patience turned and saw Zane tapping his tail against the ground, Muldoon right beside him as Nedry stood on his back, blinking in confusion.

(Back out slowly,) Muldoon told her. (In the same footsteps if possible.)

(You're at the edge of what's called a predator trap,) Zane told her. (An animal comes to drink or cool off in the mud or whatever, gets stuck in the deep mud, and can't escape. Its smell and its cries draw an eager predator or scavenger. They jump in to feed, and can't get out. Then another one goes in to try its luck, and another and so on.)

(Isn't that what happened at those tar pits in LA too?) Nedry asked. (You know, with the sabertooths and dire wolves and huge vultures that came to eat the trapped mastodons and stuff?)

(Yes,) Muldoon nodded. (I've seen the same thing happen to lions a few times in mud too.)

(Big bodies, tiny brains. That's a dinosaur for ya,) Zane said flatly.

Patience carefully backed out of the mud, her hunger under control.

As she did so, the light from the setting sun shifted to illuminate the mudflat better, along with the breeze. In the middle of the expanse of churned mud was the reeking carcass of a young Iguanodon cow. To her horror, not far from it lay an adolescent male acrocanth, a "mere" two and a half tons in weight, stuck fast.

Although he seemed dead at first, when the breeze wafted the scent of a female of his kind to his nostrils, he opened his hollow eyes and feebly raised his head to look at her, giving a weak chuff of greeting. Then he lay his head back down again. The emotional part of Patience would never forget that moment.

(The poor bastard,) said Muldoon, shaking his head. (Too bad I don't have a rifle for him.)

(Yeah,) she agreed as she shuddered, turning away from the sight. (Thanks for keeping me from ending up in his shoes,) she told them as she rubbed the muck covering the lower half of her body off against a tree.

(Well, you're welcome,) Muldoon said.

(Whatever,) Zane muttered curtly. He lumbered off, with Runt trailing behind him, nibbling on the leaves tied to his tail.

(Sheesh, what got into him?) Nedry said in surprise.

Patience's eyes narrowed. She could no longer conceal her irritation.

(Yeah, _what_ is your _problem_?) she demanded.

(I don't have a problem,) Zane responded. (Except that we're going off to Ground Zero, where we're probably going to get blown up or eaten or whatever. Other than that, I'm just fine.)

(Great,) Nedry muttered. (Now you've made me paranoid Zane. Thank you.)

(No, you're _not_ ,) Patience said sternly.

(Hey, come on,) Zane laughed. (You forget. I'm Zane _**no**_ brain. Or, if you prefer, I'm actually more like the dinos. Brain the size of a walnut.)

(That's not true Zane,) Muldoon said. (Not in the least.)

(Yes it is,) Zane insisted, tapping his head meaningfully against a nearby monkey puzzle tree. (Not much up there. So how could there be anything on my mind?)

(That's another thing,) Patience said. (Why are you always acting like you're not that bright when you are?)

He snorted sardonically. (Yeah, I'm a real brain trust.)

(I'm beginning to think you are,) Patience replied. (Way more than you let on.)

(Can't pull the wool over our eyes Zane,) Nedry agreed, nodding.

Zane grunted, lightly kicking a stone. (Like you care. Like anyone cares.)

The words hurt. Patience had been telling him-and herself-that she didn't really care in the least. But now, for some reason, Zane's emotional state was important to her.

(Zane,) Nedry said softly, (I might as well tell you right now that all of your life, people are going to try to screw you over, hide your light under their bushels, and rob you of your dignity. The last thing you want is to do it to yourself as well. Ugh, why am I giving life advice to someone that just squealed on me and ruined my career and entire future just hours ago?!)

(I saved your butt from that male acro,) she said forcefully. (You owe me, so come clean.)

Zane came to a stop and growled, nostrils flaring. (Like Schrodinger's Cat,) he said in disgust to himself.

(Come again?) she said, blinking and cocking her head.

(It's a famous scientific principle about stasis. About things not changing.)

(Yep, the classic quantum thought experiment,) Nedry nodded, even as he leapt off of Muldoon's back, Harriet following.

Patience wasn't.

Zane lowered his head and met her gaze from his right eye. (You interested in hearing this?)

Oddly enough, she was. At the very least, it kept her mind focused, and Zane was talking again.

(Okay, the idea is, you have a cat, and you put it in a box with two closed dishes of food, either one of which can have their lid opened by an internal triggering mechanism. One is poisoned, the other isn't. Then-)

Patience gasped in horror, and then gave a deep growl as she whacked a small tree with her stiff tail. (That's sick. I like cats. Whoever did that can roast in-)

(Don't worry, this isn't-wasn't a real experiment,) Zane assured her. (It's all theoretical, a thought experiment, like oh, what if rats evolved to become technologically advanced instead of humans, you know? It's just a scientific principle, what many call the mascot of quantum physics. A guy named Erwin Schrodinger conceived of it. But nobody ever actually put some cat in a sealed box and then-)

(I have cats. It still upsets me.)

(Fine,) Zane sighed. (How do you feel about a baboon in its place?)

(Ugh, don't like baboons,) Patience replied with feeling. (They're ugly, and they're hairy, and mean, and they scare me. Not a baboon kind of person.)

(Can't say I really am either,) Muldoon chimed in. (I could write a bloody book about all the trouble I've seen baboons cause for people in Africa, including yours truly. Attacking people, stealing food, breaking into camps and homes, killing chickens and lambs, tearing things apart just for fun, pissing and crapping everywhere…)

(Okay. So it's a baboon,) Zane conceded, shaking his head. ('Schrodinger's Baboon,' all right?)

(And it's in this box,) Patience said. (Where it's either going to eat the safe food or the poisoned stuff.)

(Well actually,) Nedry said, (it's going to be allowed access to one or the other, depending on the random decay of a mildly radioactive element. It's something that can't be predicted, can't be quantified, and can't be controlled by an outside observer.)

(So then-what? You just wait?)

(Yeah,) Zane said. (That's exactly it. The box is secure. The baboon can't escape.)

(I hate baboons, but that's creepy.)

(There's a point to this.)

(Imagine my relief,) Patience said.

(According to the experiment, one can walk away from the box, and so long as no one ever opens it,) Zane explained, (the baboon contained inside is, from our human perspective, in what's called an indefinite state. It's in a limbo where it's neither alive nor dead.)

(How much food are we talking about here?) Patience inquired. (Or water? I mean, after a while, is it going to be, 'Huh, this box really stinks, and it's not jumping around, screeching, or making any more baboon noises'?)

Nedry and Muldoon both laughed as Zane replied coolly, (The point of it is that while it makes sense that the baboon would now be an ex-baboon-)

Patience burst out giggling. She couldn't help herself. (An ex-baboon. I like that.)

(Yeah,) Nedry grinned as he chuckled. (Get this guy a comedy act.)

(Thank you. The bottom line is that until you open the box and check, you really don't know for certain. Hypothetically speaking.)

(And this baboon stuff relates to why you're in such a sour mood-how?)

(Things don't change. People don't change,) Zane firmly pronounced as he rumbled and looked away. (You won't change, Patience. You're just like the baboon.)

( _Excuse me_?) Patience cried indignantly. (Did I just hear you compare me to a baboon?)

(Maybe I did.)

(All right you two,) Muldoon said sharply. (That'll be enough of that talk.)

And then, to Patience's astonishment, Nedry, of all people, who'd hated-and most likely still did-her and Zane so much for spilling the beans that he'd been willing to run away and leave them forever stranded, did an amazing thing.

Taking a deep breath to fortify himself, the programmer spoke.

(Rob, I know that you think of me as a little backstabbing bastard,) he said levelly. (And that means I'm the last person you want to hear any advice or suggestions.)

(Like hell I do, you bloody toad,) Muldoon growled.

(Yeah well, I'm gonna do it whether you want me to or not,) the programmer said simply in his Boston accent. (And my advice is-no offense-to stay out of these kid's business for once. They need to do this, sort it out among themselves, you know? Kind of how sometimes you just need to let a squabble between two dogs happen, so they can work out where they stand.)

Muldoon was silent for a time, eyes narrowed as he looked at Nedry, blood clearly boiling at such insolence. Then the Sauropelta relaxed.

(I suppose there's some truth to that,) he admitted. (Just don't let things get physical, okay?) he asked both of them. Patience nodded. So did Zane. (No blows being struck here,) he said.

(Anyway,) the astrodon continued as he turned his attention back to her, (yeah, I mean it. You're doing this whole tomboy act, acting snippy and picking fights like it's still fifth grade, doing everything you can not to grow up and act halfway mature…you're like everything else. Unwilling or unable to change.)

Patience felt both her temper and quills rise as she gave a low growl. (You think you have any idea of what my life is like? Of what _things_ are like for me?)

Zane shook his head. (No. I don't. And that means that you don't have the first real clue about me, either.)

(Tit-for-tat,) Nedry commented.

She stepped back, stunned, blinking. He was absolutely right.

Zane began walking again, kicking stones and lashing his tail. (Everybody looks at me and is like, oh, it's the funny fat kid, always good for a laugh. We get that. We expect that. But the _smart_ , funny fat kid? No way. That wouldn't fly. Too much of a curve ball. Then you aren't the comedian anymore. Then you're seen as a fatter version of a geek. A dweeb. A roly poly nerd. Seeing you as a well-rounded individual is just not gonna happen with that pack mentality. At least with people thinking they know what I'm all about-)

(There's something else,) Patience said knowingly. She really didn't know why she said it. A feeling, probably.

Zane stopped and looked away. (That's irrelevant.)

(Oh, come on. You lay all this on me. You tell me what all my problems are, but then you get all evas-)

(Hey!) a voice called. A different voice.

(Who's that now?) Muldoon said thoughtfully. (That certainly wasn't Henry or Bo-)

Everyone stiffened as they smelt a new odor in the air. A theropod.

A raptor.

(Oh jeez, not _more_ of those damned raptors again!) Nedry moaned in agitation as he tried to hide behind one of Zane's legs.

Patience looked in the scent's direction, glancing up and to her right. A lone male Deinonychus stood on a bluff overlooking their valley, head cocked.

(Are you two gonna make nice, or do I have to call the teacher to send you to the principal's office?)

(Who is this?) Muldoon said in confusion. (And is he really in the body of a raptor? I hope to Jesus its pack isn't around.)

Patience couldn't believe it. That voice! It was-

(Will!) Zane shouted in joy. (Great to see you dude!)

(Zane!) Will exclaimed in equal, profound pleasure. (Oh my Gosh, it's you! I've been wishing for this moment so badly!)

All of them stared at their fellow classmate or new member of their Fellowship, now in the body of a fearsome-looking raptor, a toothy, ground-running superhawk. Patience was about to speak in greeting herself when she suddenly heard stones begin to fall on the other side of the ridge opposite from the bluff Will was perched on, and the footsteps of a large dinosaur ascending it.

(He's alone and has control of those raptor instincts, right?) Nedry nervously asked her.

(Uh, who are these guys?) Will asked in perplexity, noticing Muldoon and Nedry.

But he got no answer, for then a large Iguanodon bull strode into view over the top of the ridge.

(Did someone order Chinese?) the Iggy said playfully as it laid down on its belly, folding its forearms in front of it as it chuckled.

Recognition surged up within Patience, followed very closely by the purest relief and joy.

(Henry!) she yelled. (Oh Henry, you're safe!)

(Are we ever glad to see you Henry,) Muldoon told the Iggy with his own sigh of relief. (But did you just actually crack a joke right now?)

(As amazing as it might seem, he did,) one of a group of five Hypsilophodons that had also just trotted over the ridge replied.

(Seriously, can someone fill me in on who these three new guys are?) Will repeated.

(What happened to you Henry?) Patience cried out in concern as Wu walked closer, suddenly noticing the wounds on his body. (You're hurt!)

(I went ten rounds with another Iguanodon bull,) Wu replied, (and then a pack of raptors.)

(Never a dull moment for us two, really,) Mr. London commented as he used his right foot to scratch his nape. (And I'm glad to see things haven't been dull for you four either!) he called down to them. (Now, how about we regroup and see if we can figure out how to get back to our respective times and worlds?)

(What?!) Will shouted. ( _Worlds!_ Did I miss something here?!)

(Sounds like a plan to me,) Wu said as he carefully made his way down the rocky slope.

(Well, whattaya know?) Zane said to a glowing Patience, the bitterness and self-pity finally gone from his voice to be replaced by relief and jubilation. (The gang's all back together!)

* * *

 **Reunited, and it feels so good...**

 **Reviews make me feel good too!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Some of you might've been wondering if there was any particular reason I chose Wu, Nedry, and Muldoon to be the ones taken by the M.I.N.D. Machine in this crossover, or if my choice was just random. While I'll admit that they are among my favorite characters in the book, I actually did have a purpose in selecting them, a connection among all three men-a connection which is revealed here at last. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Will.**

Night fell, and the stars came out.

After the proper greetings had been observed, Will had been introduced to Henry, Nedry, and Muldoon. To say that he'd been stunned to discover that he was in the company of three men who were not only from a goddamn parallel universe, but were from one where the events of the book Jurassic Park _actually happened_ , that he was talking and interacting with _**fictional**_ characters, would've been the grand master of all understatements. It didn't just blow Will's mind. It nuked it!

But he somehow managed to grasp and come to terms with this additional truckload of insanity.

After a little while, he'd had to excuse himself, saying that he was feeling hungry.

Wu had helpfully told him about a place not too far away where he knew Will could find a freshly killed Iguanodon cow, and gave Will directions, adding that there was a pair of acros there too, so he'd be wise to bring Patience along for backup. And so Will did just that, Nedry and Harriet tagging along.

As Wu had said, there were two younger, but still large, acrocanths guarding the carcass, which sprung to their feet with rumbling growls and got ready to charge them in defense of their meal-but they hightailed it after Patience projected both the deafening roar and image of King Kong into their minds.

And all four of them could then eat in peace. Although the other acrocanths had eaten a lot of the Iggy already, there was still plenty of bloody steak left on the bones for them to enjoy.

None of them said much, Patience least of all. He supposed that the laser-focused hunger probably had a pretty firm hold on her once she got going, and he also surmised she was likely more than a little embarrassed over having to eat right in front of others in such a crude, animalistic manner. Will certainly was.

Still, he had a real feeling that there was something she wanted to say to him. At one point, her fearsome maw opened wide-and she just silently yawned.

At another point, after they'd all finished eating, Nedry washing his face off in the river, she once more seemed to be ready to speak to him, meeting his gaze from her lofty vantage point as her jaws began to open.

(You know Wi-) she began.

But she was suddenly cut off when Nedry then shouted, (Hey Will, feel like any dessert? I just found a dead turtle washed up here, minus its head. Crocodile must've bitten it off,) he guessed. (There's enough for all three of us smaller dinos to share,) he offered.

(No thanks,) Will grumbled in annoyance, trying not to show it. (I'm stuffed Dennis.)

(Okay,) Nedry replied.

They walked back in silence to rejoin the others, and between the two of them, Will and Nedry got a campfire prepared, then blazing.

Wu had just come back from another part of the lake, where he'd had a drink and then bathed, his punctured hide still slick with water. He mentioned offhandedly to them that he'd stumbled across a large, sandy clearing near the edge of the dense ancient forest on his way back, a little over a quarter mile square in area and filled with abandoned dinosaur nests, each containing the split-open shells of eggs that when intact, must've been the size of a cantaloupe. Sauropods, he suspected.

While all the human souls were happy to sit in each other's company around a toasty fire, the dinos in their group that still had minds of their own were less easygoing, keeping a healthy distance. Harriet seemed beyond stressed that her "crush" was sitting at ease so close to a raptor, repeatedly yelping at Nedry to run to safety. Mr. London's new hypsy pals weren't all that concerned about Patience-they knew that they could run rings around her-but also didn't want to go anywhere near a raptor, settling for a happy medium where they could be somewhat close to Mr. London (who they probably thought of as stark raving mad right now), but far enough that they could outrun Will if he decided to chase after them. Runt alternated between pressing himself against Zane's flank and making little bluff charges, squealing at the top of his lungs and stomping his front feet as a warning. But in good time, an equilibrium was reached. Will's relaxed attitude, and the fact that he'd already had a good dinner, seemed to help things along.

Mr. London chewed on a small fern as he gestured to Will. (We've got a lot of stories to tell, but you go first Will. Everything you know and saw.)

Will told them about what he'd managed to piece together about the big event due tomorrow.

The JP boys and Mr. London all nodded gravely.

(So the raptors came to Ground Zero hunting the Tenontosaurs and the other dinosaurs?) Mr. London surmised.

(Yes,) Will nodded. (Seems to me the herd went inside the mountain hoping to throw off the pack.)

(I don't think that's likely,) Muldoon said dubiously. (Big herbivores don't retreat to shelters or even have that level of intelligence, in my experience. They either try to stay in the areas where the carnivores aren't, mass together, or run from danger and keep running as a passive defense.)

(Okay. Then why do you think they'd be in the depths of the mountain at all, Rob, if not to hide?)

(Hard to say,) Muldoon replied. (I'd guess there's something inside the mountain they need, something they can't get anywhere else. Did you see any crystals down in there?)

(Come to think of it, yeah, I did sometimes see these little glinting crystals in the roc-)

(Salt!) Zane suddenly cried in understanding. (That's why all those dinosaurs are down inside there! They enter the cave to lick and eat the salt they need to stay healthy-might've been doing it for centuries, in fact.)

(Exactly what I thought,) Muldoon nodded. (Just like with Kitum Cave on Mount Elgon.)

(Kitu-what?) Zane asked in confusion.

(Kitum Cave,) Muldoon repeated. (It's this seven hundred foot long cave that goes into the side of Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano near the Kenya-Uganda border that's covered in lush forest and bamboo. The rocks of this cave are rich in salt, especially at the back, and all sorts of animals will enter it after sunset to lick and eat the rocks. Bushbuck, buffalo, duiker, and most famously of all, entire elephant herds at times!)

(Elephants?) Patience said in amazement. (Inside a cave? No way!)

(Oh, it's true,) Muldoon said sincerely. (They use their trunks and feet to feel their way around, and their tusks like pickaxes to pry and chop loose pieces of the salty rock at the back of the cave, which they then put in their mouths and chew up. I've seen them several times myself, filing out of the cave mouth before daybreak, the gouges covering the walls-and I've also seen extraordinary flash pictures taken by a biologist friend of mine, Ian Redmond, of the elephants actually walking around and tusking the rocks inside!)

(That's cool to know and all,) Will said impatiently, (but the point is, there must've been a landslide or earthquake that trapped them inside.)

Harriet and one of the little hypsys both slowly approached Will, braced for flight.

(That's Carl,) Mr. London said. (Don't mind him and Harriet, they're just curious.)

Carl and Harriet both came within eight feet of Will, nervously sniffing in tandem. Then they leaped back as one, eyes dilating as Harriet gave a sour hiss and Carl snorted, clattering his beak, as if they'd just caught a whiff of something nasty.

They moved away, Carl rejoining the other hypsys.

(Not very polite, I know,) Mr. London said. He seemed more amused than apologetic.

Patience curiously sniffed at him too. So did Zane. And then Wu.

(Guys, you're giving me a complex,) Will said bashfully. He laughed and smelled his underarms. (Oh, come on already! I can't smell that bad!)

Zane flicked his goose head in what seemed like distaste. (Actually, you smell like you just cleaned out an asphalt truck.)

Mr. London laughed, and so did Wu.

Everyone did a double take, staring at both the teacher and geneticist.

(What?) Mr. London asked. (It was funny!)

(Hey, can't scientists have a little fun too?) Wu inquired.

Will scratched himself and looked away. Mr. London had certainly loosened up. And compared to what Will recalled from the book about his character, Dr. Wu seemed to have as well. And the way the other hypsys followed London around, acting like his _buds_ , was just _weird_.

(Don't take this the wrong way Henry,) Muldoon commented, (and frankly, I'm glad to see it. But I'm getting the impression that you're acting a bit less stolid and rigid than I normally see from you, have noticeably more _joire de verve_. Care to explain?)

(Well,) Wu replied, shutting his eyes and swallowing, (Let's just put it down to the fact that when you've found out you would've been eviscerated by raptors within the next thirty-six hours, and then narrowly avoided death by flash flood, an irate fellow dinosaur, a Deinonychus pack, and a pair of acrocanths, that really tends to give you an increased appreciation and zest for life, make you not take everything so seriously and clinically.)

(I can see where that would certainly change your outlook,) Muldoon nodded.

(Glad that you're safe,) Will agreed. Very bizarre, that he was happy for the welfare of a fictional character.

Then there was this thing about how he smelt-

Will touched an arm to his snout. But he couldn't smell much at all. Now that he pondered it, ever since he'd climbed out of the creek onto the rocks, his sense of smell had been numbed. That was weird too.

(Well,) Will said with a shrug and flap of his wings, (I _do_ remember smelling something in the water. Something kind of strange, like tar.)

(And what else did you discover about the mountain? Tell the rest of us,) Mr. London urged. (Don't leave anything out.)

(Yeah, entertain and inform,) Zane said sardonically, lashing his tail.

Will was shocked by Zane's tone. His good friend sounded almost nasty, hateful even. He'd seen Zane sulk and stew before, but this was different.

Taking a deep breath, Will talked about his adventures and trials among the Deinonychus pack, spinning it to make it seem that he was cleverly trying to get close to Big Guy in order to find out more about Ground Zero. That was what he'd believed at the time. Now he was no longer so certain.

(Then Junior and his crew dumped me down a tunnel into the mountain,) Will said. He then spoke of his violent, hostile meeting with Tink, Balin, and Dwalin, and then of his nerve-wracking explorations of the tunnels.

At one point, he looked critically at Mr. London after mentioning Balin and Dwalin, saying (You're the dino expert here, Mr. L. And Balin and Dwalin definitely weren't hypsys like you. What type of plant-eater do you think they were? There were even more of them down in the main cave,) he added.

Mr. London cocked his head, thinking, the ledges of bone above his eyes giving him the appearance of furrowed brows.

(While I'd have to see them to know for certain,) the teacher replied, (I'd say that your meeker dinosaur companions are known as Zephyrosaurus, "lizard of the west wind.")

(Ah,) Will said. He then turned his attention to Muldoon, peering closely. (Thanks. And speaking of the main cave,) he went, (I saw five of the same dinosaurs down there that Rob ended up as. Whatever you call them.)

(Sauropelta,) Zane informed him. (That's what these spike-covered things are.)

When he came to the part about the long-armed, parrot-looking predator knocking the torch from his hand near the gas-filled chamber, Mr. London suddenly halted him in his tracks.

(That was a Microvenator,) Mr. London said in excitement. (These other hypsys and I were chased by and had to fight off a whole gaggle of them!)

And suddenly, Will's teacher rudely began talking about his own barely believable adventures, as if he were trying to one-up Will.

The hypsy had just gotten to the part where he'd enraged the Iguanodon bulls into knocking down branches for him-(Our band has run across quite its share of other, nasty-tempered Iguanodon bulls one way or another, hasn't it?) Muldoon said to Wu-when Zane decided to interrupt.

(So, Will,) Zane began, (you're saying there was a gas pocket in there?)

Mr. London bristled his plumage and raised his chin, red eyes dilating as he chattered his beak. He looked like he on the verge of pouting. (Hey, I was talking!) he petulantly protested.

(You'll get to say your piece in a while,) Wu chided. (Just let Will finish with what he has to say first.)

(Yes, Dad,) Mr. London said sarcastically.

Will chose to ignore his teacher's rude behavior and answered Zane. (I'd guess so. I got woozy walking from one end to the other. And I could hear a kind of hissing from this one crack in the floor.)

(You're bloody lucky that Microvenator knocked out the torch when she did,) Muldoon said grimly.

(Or that you didn't pass out from hypoxia and then asphyxiate,) Wu added.

(Yeah,) Zane nodded, giving a shudder. (So there are natural gas plumes in the mountain. Probably crude oil or tar as well. Like what's in the river, and what makes you reek that way.)

Mr. London lightly scrabbled in the gravel with his feet, the feathers along his spine sticking up as his red eyes rolled. He made little _yeah-yeah-yeah-talk-talk-talk-blah-blah-blah_ motions with his right hand.

The other four hypsys mimicked his movements.

(Hey, this is important!) Zane snapped.

(Yeah, right,) Mr. London muttered. (Who died and made you Einstein?)

Patience gasped, and Dr. Wu's mouth dropped open.

She rose and roared at the teacher in fury, causing the hypsys and Harriet to bolt into the darkness, Runt cowering against the ground as Wu also rose, growled, and stomped his front feet.

(What's gotten into you?) she demanded.

(That was absolutely uncalled for,) Wu snapped, (especially towards one of your own students Bob! He deserves better from you as his teacher!)

(Hey, I've got every right to an opinion,) Mr. London whined. He sounded childish.

(Yeah, well, not like that!) Nedry replied. (I mean, Jesus, "Yes Dad"?! That's the sort of shot I'd be way more likely to make. Last time I checked, you were all into being civil.)

The situation had gone from weird to _very_ weird.

Will glanced over. Zane's eyes were burning. No one spoke as Harriet quietly stole back up behind the teacher and yanked his tail with her teeth, making the Hypsilophodon leap into the air with a cry and scramble away from the fire, his friends dutifully following.

(Nice work girl,) Nedry approved. Harriet raised her striped head and opened her mouth in a toothy grin, looking quite pleased with her move.

 _Oh man_ , Will thought, feeling a slight glow of embarrassment. _Is that really what it looks like back home? Me and my buds, my pack, with them doing whatever I did, whatever I said?_

And suddenly, things with their band got even crazier.

Zane's huge body suddenly tensed, head held high as he swung his tail about in growing agitation. Runt also began twisting and turning, moaning and squealing. Wu tensed as well, holding his long head close to the ground, as if listening to it. So did Patience, lightly twitching and stomping her feet. Everyone's tails were waving in huge curves.

(Uh guys?) Will asked in confusion and concern. (What's going on?)

(Shhh,) Zane said. (There's an earthquake coming.)

(I can feel rocks cracking way below my feet,) Muldoon said as he nervously shifted, looking around for anything that could fall on them.

(And I hear both that and the low frequency infrasound,) Wu said uneasily. (From the rumbling and pressure underground.)

They all stayed silent, glancing uneasily at each other, waiting for the shoe to drop. But they were probably as safe here as they were anywhere, out in the open.

And then it hit, Muldoon saying, (Here it comes!)

A sudden rumbling. Will also looked up at the sides of the valley around them, cocking his head.

The ground shook suddenly, and a roar sounded from the darkness!

(Look out for rocks!) Will shouted. He leapt to his feet and wildly looked around, worried he-they-were about to be caught in another rock slide.

Runt laid down like a camel, stretching his neck and head along the ground. So did Muldoon, ochre eyes wide.

Zane and Wu stood solidly planted on all fours. Harriet squealed and splayed her feet apart for balance. Patience and Nedry also spread their legs apart, tails waving. So did Will.

Bob and all the other hypsys dropped to the ground and cowered there, yelping, bleating, and hoping for the best.

The tremors subsided quickly. The earth stopped quivering. The mild quake was at an end.

(Seismic disturbances,) Mr. London bleated as he got back up. He was trembling, and he was back in teacher mode again. (Very common,) he added, using his stubby arms to clean his plumage in the fashion of a squirrel.

(Let's hope that's the last we'll see of them,) Nedry chimed in with a shudder.

As everyone collected themselves, another noise broke the stillness of the night. A low, very localized rumble that sounded organic, different from the sounds which came from the quake.

(I'm gonna check out that sound,) Patience said suspiciously. She sounded uneasy, her quills going back up. (You guys wait here.)

(Just be careful,) Wu advised. Almost like he was her dad now.

(I think she can look after herself,) Nedry said dryly.

She nodded, then plodded away into the darkness.

Mr. London itched his flank, then started pacing. He meditatively circled the flames, eyes yellow-green in the reflected light. (I'm starting to think I've got an idea of what Ground Zero is all about. But if I'm correct, nobody's-)

(We've been thinking of it as Ground Zero for a reason,) Zane said, cutting him off.

Mr. London froze. He stared up at the astrodon incredulously. (Yes.)

The sauropod bobbed his head. His gaze was narrow with concentration as he poked a boulder with his front foot. (We know there are natural-gas reserves built up under enormous pressure beneath the mountain. Combine that with crude oil or tar, lots of flint, bushes, mats of conifer needles, and other potential combustibles. A bolt of lightning, a few stones tumbling the right way, a few sparks in the right places, a brush fire, and it all goes up. One big explosion.)

The group was silent for a time, thinking about the scenario.

Suddenly, Nedry began laughing, a shrill, derisive sound.

(That's _it_?) he declared scornfully. ( _That's_ the secret to the mystery that we had to solve? That's why we went on this journey and through all this bullcrap?! To keep a bunch of stupid prehistoric _lizards_ from getting blown to pieces when there's thousands more to take their place? I'm done,) he spat, getting to his feet and turning his back on them to leave as he laughed again. (So done. What a joke. I was expecting there to be an alien spaceship, interdimensional portal, prototype of a time travel device involved or something that actually matt-)

(But Bertram told us this event would radically change our time and future!) Zane said.

Nedry laughed again as he walked off. (Tell Bertram to stick his precious dinosaurs up his-)

(It's not a laughing matter, Dennis,) Wu said sharply.

That stopped Nedry in his tracks.

(Henry?) he said in bafflement as he looked over his shoulder, eyes orange with reflected light. (Are you actually telling me that you think these overgrown lizards are important, that you suddenly give a damn about them? This from a guy who's probably put down doze-)

(Normally, no,) Wu replied. (But I think this case is different. I think there might be a specific dinosaur or group of dinosaurs at this site who have a lot of potential, let's just say, that need to survive.)

(You see,) Wu went on, now addressing the entire group, (ever since Patience and Zane told us three about what happens to the park in the book, I've naturally been thinking about Malcolm's chaos theory and how it applies to living systems a lot more than I've used to do.)

(Which can only be a good thing,) Zane supplied.

(Thanks. Anyway,) Wu said, (living organisms, their species as a whole, and the communities, the ecosystems they're a part of, are normally quite durable and resilient in the face of disasters or unexpected change. If a large portion of a certain species is wiped out by a disease outbreak, a hurricane, or other catastrophic event, the survivors will breed, grow, and in time, their numbers and the ecosystem will be back to normal again. Indeed, living systems are always dynamic like that, always in flux, always waxing or waning, never on an even keel. They are inherently unstable, constantly in a state of change…but in most cases, are flexible and adaptable enough to take these changes and negative events in their stride. In fact, these changes actually help to keep ecosystems and species healthy, encourage diversification and drive evolution.)

He paused.

(Sometimes however,) he said, (an event happens that really _does_ end up having major repercussions for a living system. Perhaps a new type of predator arrives in an area, and proves to be so effective that one or more species that it takes to eating can't develop countermeasures in time. And they go extinct. Or perhaps one or more members of a species have developed a certain mutation, a mutation that is setting them on the road to become the ancestors of a new, different species-but then they all get killed by a drought or eaten by predators.)

(So you're saying that there could be the potential ancestors of a whole new kind or family of dinosaurs at risk here too?) Zane said.

(Possibly,) Mr. London replied, sighing.

Wu nodded. (But while that would be a biological tragedy, exactly how it would dramatically affect your own future is impossible to say.)

And frankly, Will didn't want to know.

(Ground Zero,) he whispered in horror, putting a hand to his muzzle as he thought of the trapped Tenontosaurs, the Iggy bulls, of Hook, Balin, Tink, and of Big Guy's pack which would be bombarded by stones flying like shrapnel. Which ones? Which ones, in the grand design, needed to survive?

Mr. London softly nodded.

(So how do we stop it?) Zane asked. (If that's it, if that's what we were sent here to do, then how do we go about it?)

(I don't see how we can,) Mr. London replied.

Will rose to his feet suddenly, angry and frustrated as he growled and both Harriet and the other hypsys cried out in alarm and darted away. (I don't accept that. Won't.)

Mr. London flicked his tail and became moody again. (Well fine, I guess that settles things, huh? I couldn't possibly be right if the great, "super-awesome" William Reilly disagrees.)

(You know, even _I_ don't like this new attitude you're copping with us, Bob,) Nedry hissed. (And that's saying something.)

(A traitor and saboteur like you is the last person who has any business trying to tell me to mind my manners!) Mr. London shot back.

( _What_ is your _problem_?) Will demanded.

(You,) Mr. London responded curtly. (You're everyone's problem.)

Everyone gasped. For a few seconds, there was a heavy, terrible silence.

Will felt the feathers on his shoulders go erect, and he clacked his jaws twice as he coldly stalked closer to the teacher, head down.

(Go on Will. Give him the ass-kicking he deserves,) Nedry urged, voice thick with disgust at the teacher.

(What did you just say?) Will said gravely.

(If don't want to treat your students with respect Bob,) Wu said levelly, (you're always welcome to leave and let us handle things on our own, and then apply for a construction job or to be a prison guard when you get sent back to your own world, where you can be as rude and nasty and abrasive to others as you please.)

(I turned on the machine,) Mr. London went on. (I'll own up to that. And the fact that I had a copy of Jurassic Park with me, had it on my own mind, was what set the stage for these three guys to get dragged in too. But I wasn't the one with _issues_ that needed to be worked out.)

 _Yeah, well, I wouldn't be so sure,_ Will thought dubiously. But he kept silent. He wanted to hear this.

Zane twisted his head and glared at the hypsy, groaning in warning. (We don't know anything for certain, Mr. L. Stop it.)

(Yes,) Muldoon agreed firmly. (You have a lot of bloody nerve, picking on teenagers. Now shut your face before one of us does it for you.)

The teacher-turned-hypsy stood tall and raised his head defiantly, rattling his beak. (No. The M.I.N.D. Machine needed something to focus on. Somebody who needed all of this, for whatever reason.)

(Oh, now you're just talking pure rot,) Muldoon sighed.

Will was stunned, flicking his tail. (You're blaming _me_? You're saying this is all my fault?)

(Think about it,) Mr. London said reasonably. (You lost the election. You wanted to create a situation in which you could be the alpha male again, in which everyone would be looking at you like you were _all that_ ,) Mr. London said, snapping his fingers and weaving his head from side to side a couple times. The hypsy shook his head. (That's what Patience and Zane told me.)

(Us too,) Wu admitted, sighing.

Will's shoulders slumped. What Mr. London said stung-but it stung because it was true. He'd wanted all that and more.

And for a moment in time, he'd wanted to just get away from Wetherford. As far away as possible…

(Then there are those games you're fond of playing,) London went on. (The video games, where you go on epic adventures and triumph against the impossible-)

(All right!) Will barked, snapping his jaws in the hypsy's direction like two boards being whacked together. (Whatever. Even if you're right, I didn't ever intend for or even imagine a thing like this would happen! And it doesn't change anything.)

Suddenly, Will saw Wu's goat pupils widen, and the Iguanodon rose back onto his back feet, muscles tensing as he did that comical Fonzie impression with his thumb spikes. At first, Will thought the geneticist had been spooked by something, or could no longer tolerate the teacher's bullying.

But when he spoke, his voice contained dawning comprehension instead.

(Wait a minute,) he said. (That's it!)

(No kidding,) Muldoon growled. (Nedry, go hold that insolent little verbally abusive sod down while Henry kicks some decen-)

(No,) Wu cut in sharply. (I meant that's _**it**_. The reason all three of us ended up here, were "chosen" if you want to call it that.)

(What do you mean?) Nedry asked, cocking his head. (I sure as hell never wanted to be here…and now I really, really wish I wasn't,) he said bitterly.

(I can't believe I'm even entertaining such illogical, wild notions,) Wu said in amusement, (but ever since I managed to get a hold of myself after my awareness was sent back here, came to terms with the fact that I am piloting the body of a dinosaur, I've been wondering all the time, why us three? The machine's quantum blue lightning could just have easily struck Arnold, or Malcolm, or Grant, or Hammond, or his grandchildren, or one or more of the Tican workers and support staff.)

(Hah, I would absolutely love to see John The Cheap Bastard back here with us,) Nedry crowed. (Whining and complaining about everything like a pansy, expecting everybody to listen to him-)

(Chance,) Zane said dismissively. (Luck of the draw.)

(That's what I assumed for all this time too,) Wu said. (But now,) he said thoughtfully, (now I'm not so sure anymore.)

(Indeed,) he went on, (I'm starting to suspect the lightning fixed on us three because we all had a common denominator.)

(With all due respect Henry,) Muldoon said, (I really can't see anything that you, I, and Nedry share in common. At least, nothing that sticks out.)

(Oh, I do though,) Wu replied. (And that thing in common is John. John Hammond.)

Will jerked his own head up in understanding. (Yeah,) he said. (Of course! Or more like the frustration you've all been having with him.)

(Exactly,) Wu replied, with emphasis. (Just consider,) he went on as he gestured to Muldoon and Nedry, looking at both of them. (For at least two years, I've been frustrated not only by how Hammond won't allow me to publish my findings and discoveries, but by how he's stopped giving me and my opinions any credit, when I gave him living dinosaurs, used to have his undivided attention and trust in my advice. Now he sees me as just another part in the machine, chopped liver.)

(Yes,) Muldoon said knowingly. (And I've been frustrated with Hammond to no end too, with how he won't allow lethal weapons that could possibly be used to harm his "precious animals" on the island, how he thinks I'll be enough to manage and control all the dangerous dinosaurs in the park when he frankly should have a dozen personnel like me at the very least on staff, how he refuses to acknowledge that some of the dinosaurs are simply too bloody dangerous and too much of an unknown to have around staff or visitors.)

(Like what I am,) Will replied. (The raptors.)

(Yes,) Muldoon nodded grimly. (No offense to you of course. You're quite pleasant and sociable as raptors go, I'd say in fact.)

Will laughed. (Thanks.)

(Last but not least,) Nedry spat, lashing his tail as he refused to look at any of them, (I've been royally pissed at Hammond for not telling me and my team _shit_ when it came to designing the computer mainframe for his extinct lizard zoo/theme park, _and then_ throwing a hissy fit when there's all sorts of bugs and glitches and insufficient memory for an application or module, _and then_ being the cheapest bastard ever and not forking over a small fraction of his _billions_ of dollars for all the trouble-and I do mean trouble!-that I went to for him!)

(Oh, and by the way,) Nedry scornfully added, (when I saw that the Billion Dollar Crone went cheap on security _**and**_ chose to have dinosaurs running around, I also got both frustrated and astonished at what an utter imbecile he was being. I mean, electric fences can't always even hold cattle, or horses in all the time, so what made him think they'd be foolproof with huge dinosaurs?)

(Ignorance,) Muldoon replied. (I've done so much prattling to Hammond about just that, that we need more effective, stronger barriers as precautions. But he insists that everything should look as natural and untouched as possible.)

(So of all the people on Isla Nublar at the time,) Zane ventured, (you three were the most frustrated about how Hammond either wouldn't listen to your recommendations or give you what you deserved, and the M.I.N.D Machine "locked on" to that frustration.)

(Incredible as it is, that's what I personally figure,) Wu said. Suddenly he tensed, nervously sniffing the air, pupils slowly dilating.

Silence stretched across the campsite. Then the scent of a big meat-eater came, followed by footsteps.

 _Two_ sets of footsteps.

(Me too. And I don't believe there's no way of keeping Ground Zero from happening,) Patience said from the darkness. There was a shape on two legs beside her. One almost as big as her. (And I don't think any of you really believe it, either.)

Zane stepped back as the hulking beast beside Patience was lit by the flames, eyes glowing sapphire blue, the light playing over blades of teeth. It was a male Acrocanthosaurus, like her.

(Whoa!) Zane hollered, bugling in alarm and rearing. (That's the same guy who tried to have me over for lunch and took a chunk out of my side!)

With a hiss, Will instantly leapt to protect his friend, staring into the male acro's eyes as he lowered his body and got ready to spring. Muldoon was beside him then as well, a welcome ally.

(Stay back!) he told Zane. (I won't let that beast hurt you buddy!)

But to his astonishment, Zane's forefoot suddenly nudged him from behind, knocking him to the ground.

As he fell, Will screeched. But he still heard Wu say to Muldoon (Relax Rob,) reaching out with a scaly hand and grasping the Sauropelta's long tail. (He's okay.)

(What was that for?) Will snarled as he jumped back to his feet. (You freaking _kick me_ while I'm-) He looked back hard at the astrodon and the Iggy. Zane was glaring in disapproval, and Wu seemed exasperated.

(Cut it out,) Patience said. (This is The Green Knight. G.K. for short.)

(You know this dinosaur somehow now?) Nedry said in disbelief.

(Yes. He's a friend.)

(Hold it,) Will said. (You mean, you know him, he knows you, but yet he wants to eat Zane?! Do I speak for everybody else when I say, _what in God's name is going on_?!)

(Chill out,) Patience ordered. (I'll explain in a bit, and all you need to know for the moment is that I've tamed him now.) Her ivory blades of teeth gleamed in the firelight in what might've been a smile. (And he just gave me an idea.)

* * *

 **I apologize on Mr. London's behalf for him being such an asshole in this chapter.**

 **Next chapter or two will be seeing some quiet time and moving heart-to-hearts between some characters. Get your tissues.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Patience.**

After telling the others her plan for tomorrow, they allowed Mr. London to finally finish relating what had happened to him and his fellow hypsys while he was on his own.

Then Wu took the stand, telling his rapt audience about being trapped in the churning grip of the flash flood, how the other Iggy bull had attacked and fought him, his intense, desperate battle with the Deinonychus pack, meeting the crippled cow, and the charge by the pair of acros.

At one point, after Wu had just finished telling them about how he'd killed the pack's alpha male with such a calculated move, and then killed two more of the raptors, resulting in a score of Wu: 5 Raptors: 0, Zane simply said, (Jeez,) in amazement.

Then he turned to look right at her, declaring bluntly, (Patience, your new dad is a total badass.)

Both she and Wu had spluttered in consternation at the idea, averting their gazes from each other. But then Patience raised her head, and instead of protesting or denying, showed her teeth in a sort of smile as she looked right at Wu again, pride and relief shining through in her voice as she replied, (Yes. He sure is.)

After the geneticist finished his amazing, harrowing account, Muldoon decided to wrap things up.

(While I've always managed to stay with this Fellowship throughout this astonishing journey,) he said thoughtfully, the firelight glinting off of his spikes, (there's something about being around a good fire like this one that makes an old Africa hand like me unable to resist telling tales about my time in the bush and the adventures I've had in one of our world's last great wildernesses. I hope you folks can still spare a little time to hear a few before you need to drift off.)

(I know I would,) Zane volunteered. (Are there any that involve lions?) he eagerly inquired.

(Oh yes,) Muldoon assured him. (Plenty of those.)

(Sounds cool,) Will agreed.

(Rob's told me about many of his experiences in Africa before,) Wu said offhandedly. (Still, they never get old.)

(Well, they're new to me,) Nedry replied.

(All right then,) Muldoon began. He thought for a moment.

(Since our entire purpose in being here is evidently to rescue an assemblage of dinosaurs and get them out of harm's way,) he began, (I think it'll be appropriate to tell you about this enormous wildlife rescue I was part of for several months in 1961, when I was just twenty-two years old, called Operation Noah.)

(Operation Noah?) Will said in puzzlement. (I've never heard of it.)

(Not surprising,) Muldoon said. (It was before your time for one thing, and only during the last half or so of the business did it really get serious media attention.)

(Anyway,) the former ranger said, (first, let's set the stage. Do any of you young folks know where the Zambezi River is?)

Zane nodded. So did Will.

(I've never heard of it,) Patience replied in slight embarrassment.

(Okay, quick geography lesson then,) Muldoon said. (The Zambezi River is the fourth-longest river in Africa, which starts in the area where the borders of Angola, Zambia, and the Congo meet, then flows south, then east, finally flowing into the Indian Ocean in central Mozambique.)

(Okay. Got it.)

(It's a magnificent river,) Muldoon said. (Big and broad, even in the worst droughts. I've floated parts of it many times myself, and it has all sorts of stunning scenery, rapids, forests, grand gorges, huge numbers of wildlife and birds everywhere on the banks-and excellent fishing for sharptooth catfish, tigerfish, and yellowfish among others, if you're in for that sort of thing.)

(My dad would love to go there then,) Will commented. (He loves a good fight with a fish on the line.)

(Then I'm sure he'd get a real thrill hooking into a Zambezi tiger,) Muldoon said. (They easily get to a meter long or even bigger, hit baits like torpedoes, pull away line with the force of a motorcycle, leap like creatures possessed to toss the hook-and most impressively of all, have a set of teeth on them like a bear trap.)

(Dang. Sounds like one scary fish,) Zane commented.

(Oh yes,) Muldoon agreed. (But always an exciting quarry to hook into and land. Just watch your fingers.)

(And last but not least,) he said, (there's the wonder of the world known as Victoria Falls. But personally, I prefer its local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya-"the smoke that thunders.)

The Sauropelta shook his head in what seemed like lingering awe. (A fitting name if there even was one. Twice the height of Niagra. Five thousand, six hundred feet wide, with spray clouds you can see from a distance of thirty miles. If any of you ever get the chance to in your lives, go see it, especially when the river is in flood. You won't regret or forget it as long as you live.)

(Well I've decided,) Mr. London said, (that after having had a real dose of excitement today, as soon as we get back to our own time, I'm going to look into going on an African adventure, just like I've always dreamed of. And those falls are definitely going to be a place I'll be making a stop at.)

(I'm sure you'll enjoy them,) Muldoon replied. (I always do. But back to my tale and Operation Noah.)

(Now,) he said, (The Zambezi flows along the border of what are now known as Zambia and Zimbabwe since independence, but at that time were called North and South Rhodesia. On that border, four hundred kilometers upstream from the great falls, at a place called the Kariba Gorge, in the late 1950's construction began on a huge dam to generate power. When the last of the concrete was poured and the floodgates were shut, the waters of the Zambezi built up to form the world's biggest man-made lake, Lake Kariba-and drowning 5, 580 square kilometers of land under forty-three cubic miles of water!)

(Holy crap,) Will said in surprise. (That is one enormous lake!)

Zane whistled. (No kidding,) he agreed. (And very bad news for any people living there…or animals.)

(Yes,) Muldoon replied gravely. (The government "resettled" 57,000 local Batonga tribesmen from that part of the valley to higher ground,) he said. (All the animals they'd put in harm's way though, the sods in government didn't give a toss about,) he growled in disgusted scorn.

(That's horrible!) Patience said. (They didn't even _try_ to help them?)

(No,) Muldoon sighed sadly. (They didn't care at all.)

(So they just left them to die,) Zane growled. (Talk about such a jerk move.)

(You'll get no argument from me,) Muldoon said. (As the waters rose, countless thousands of animals, from beetles to elephants, were threatened with death by drowning. Or they retreated to hilltops that suddenly became islands, where all the animals that were packed together would soon eat all the grass, the leaves, the insects, the seeds-and then starve to death.)

(Those poor things,) Patience said softly.

Muldoon nodded. (But other people weren't going to let that happen,) he told them. (Rhodesia's Chief Game Ranger at the time was a man by the name to Rupert Fothergill, and he resolved that he and his men were going to save as many animals as he could.)

(Awesome,) Zane said approvingly. (Glad at least somebody was willing to step up to the plate.)

(This mighty mission of mercy lasted for five years,) Muldoon recalled, (and was appropriately call Operation Noah. Now, where I come in is that one of my uncles, Scott, was living in that part of Rhodesia at the time. In the spring of 1961 though, he became very ill, and many members of my family naturally tried to spend as much time with him as possible.)

Muldoon paused. (I'd recently graduated from university, and really didn't have anything tying me down at that time. So I packed my things, moved to the Kariba area, and found a place to live not far from the hospital where my Uncle Scott was being looked after.)

(That was really kind of you,) Will said. (I'm sure your uncle was glad to have such a great nephew.)

(Thank you. And yes, it really meant a lot to him,) Muldoon concurred. (He hung on for fourteen months before giving up the ghost. During that time, I got a concession from the government, and made a camp in the bush, from which I either guided clients on hunts, took tourists out on safaris, or was called upon to undertake the thoroughly unpleasant tasks of putting down animals that were being rather antisocial, let's just say.)

(Like lions?) Zane guessed.

(Oh yes,) Muldoon said. (Lions aplenty.)

(He has some good ones about lions,) Wu confirmed. Turning to the Sauropelta, he said (Tell them about the time that one man-eating lion actually _climbed_ a tree to try to grab you from the platform you were sit-)

(Wow!) Zane said in amazement. (You were attacked by a man-eating lion, Rob? An _actual_ man-eating lion?!)

(More times than I'd have liked to be,) Muldoon confirmed.

(Or elephants?) Will chimed in. (My dad went on a vacation to Tanzania once, and went to a place called Lake Manyara National Park, where he went on a game drive-and during it, the Land Rover he was in was chased by an entire herd of elephants!)

(I'll get to those ones soon enough,) Muldoon interjected. (Just let me tackle this one first.)

(Anyway,) he went on, (as I got established and got to know people, it didn't take long for word to reach my ear about Fothergill and how he and his team were trying to rescue all the animals they could from the rising floodwaters. Well, in a situation like that, where every hour can count for a trapped animal, the more hands there are to help the better. So I made a point of assisting them whenever I could spare the time.)

(That's so awesome,) Patience grinned in pride. (Good for you Rob.)

(Yeah,) Will said. (Really nice of you. What was it like, saving the animals?)

(And how successful were you guys at it?) Zane added.

(There was never a dull moment, I can assure you,) Muldoon replied. (While the use of sedatives and tranquilizer darts to subdue animals is commonplace now, back then not many people had expertise in using them…or even much knowledge on how exactly they affected animals or what doses were required at all.)

(So that means you would've mainly had to capture and move them the old-fashioned way then,) Zane ventured. (Lassos and nets and stuff.)

(Precisely,) Muldoon nodded. (We used some pretty basic equipment, ropes, sacks, handmade nets, boxes, and people power.) The Sauropelta laughed. (As silly as it may sound, one of our most effective tools was women's nylons!)

Patience couldn't help but laugh with Will and Zane. So Nedry.

(You mean women's pantyhose?) Nedry laughed. (What did you need that for Rob? To make the animals look stylish and fabulous?)

Muldoon snorted in amusement. (Actually, we used them to make capture nets out of,) he explained. (Ropes can cut and abrade an animal's skin when it struggles in a net made of them, and they'll also often sort of bounce off a rope net when they hit it too. And if you've got a waterbuck or some other animal that has horns, if a horn gets caught in a comparatively stiff rope net, and the pressure on the horn is just right…snap, off it goes in a bloody mess.)

(I get it,) Will said. (You used nylons to make nets that would be light and not hurt the animals that got caught in them-but would also still be strong enough to hold them.)

(Yes,) Muldoon replied. (My sisters, mother, and aunts, bless them, donated some of their undergarments to the cause, I must admit.)

(As for how many animals were saved,) he went on, (despite all the odds, over that five-year period, Fothergill and the other people under him rescued an incredible 5,000 animals from certain death, floating, herding, and boating them to the safety of dry land. Another team, led by a man named Tad Edleman, rescued a thousand. An unknown number were also rescued by tourists, hunters, and local residents.)

(That is so cool,) Zane said in admiration. (That was a real labor of love.)

(Yeah. Man, talk about being heroes!) Will said. (It would be impressive enough if even six hundred animals were saved-but six thousand? Unbelievable.)

(How many do you think _you_ personally saved Rob?) Patience asked. (Or helped save.)

Muldoon was lost in thought for a bit. (Hard to say for sure,) he replied. (I'd guess I played a role in saving the lives of around a hundred and thirty-five animals during those fourteen months.)

(Wow,) Patience said. (That's sure a lot. Nice going.)

(But I'm sure not all of those animals took kindly to being helped,) Nedry said. (Some must've made things pretty difficult for you, I imagine.)

Muldoon laughed. (Oh Christ, did they ever! From deadly puff adders to angry rhinos, I wrangled and dealt with them all. We floated drugged rhinos and buffalo out on rafts made of empty oil drums, plucked deadly cobras-including spitting cobras-, black mambas, and boomslangs out of trees with nooses, wrestled huge pythons with teeth like sawblades, hogtied kicking impala and waterbuck, dogpiled warthogs and bushpigs with slashing tusks like razors, climbed onto the slim branches of drowning trees that were just covered in long thorns, to snatch baboons and vervet monkeys, servals and chameleons and hyraxes and baby birds in their nests.)

(Aww, I like chameleons,) Zane said. (They're like living cartoon characters.)

(We lassoed and wrestled down Cape buffalo, chased lions, elephants, ostriches, and zebras into the water on foot, where we then used the boats and poles to herd the swimming animals to safety. We slipped ropes underneath the bellies of animals ranging from elephants to sable antelope that we found swimming in the open water, lost and exhausted, and then lashed them to the side of the boats to support them as we then brought them to dry land, or simply put a noose around their neck if they looked strong enough and towed them out of there.)

He told them about coaxing porcupines and aardvarks out of burrows, jumping into the water to grab screaming, soaking wet baboons by the scruffs of their necks, seeing dead catfish and tigerfish littering the banks of the growing mammoth lake, having eaten so many insects and mice and spiders and frogs and other small creatures flushed out by the water that their stomachs had ruptured from gluttony, of having to leave islands where a herd of antelope were trapped, thinking it would last long enough until they could get to it in a couple days-and then returning, sometimes within twenty-four hours, to find only open water and bloated, floating corpses.

With his account of his transient time involved with Operation Noah done, Robert Muldoon then told his captive audience several more memories and firsthand accounts of wild Africa. Spellbound, Patience listened with Zane and Will as Muldoon recited hair-raising stalks of lions and leopards that had either been wounded by a client's sloppy shot or worse, had turned man-eater, relived explosive charges by wounded buffalo that had been waiting for him on their own blood trails, erupting out of the scrub like a runway train and practically as unstoppable as a tank, told them of nearly being snatched by a fifteen-foot crocodile and being charged by huge bull hippos which had wanted to use him as a chew toy, of being charged and chased both in vehicles and on foot by angry elephants, dropping man-killing and crop-raiding jumbos in their tracks seconds before it would've been too late to pull the trigger. All very exciting and compelling stuff.

But in the end, eyelids and heads began to droop. They all needed their sleep, and Ground Zero, the place where tomorrow, the machine would hopefully, finally, set them all free, was now not very far at all.

So, one by one, their group loosely broke up, and curled up or laid down on their stomachs to sleep. Runt laid done next to Zane. Nedry and Harriet curled up nearby like dogs for protection. Mr. London and the other hypsys sat down in a loose group like chickens, tails coiled around them.

And Wu, the Green Knight, and Patience all laid down too. Although she didn't think there was a predator around here that would seriously consider tangling with a group that now contained two acrocanths, she still volunteered to stay up for a time and stand guard. But her fatigue quickly caught up with her. She watched G.K. flop onto his side, settle into a deep slumber, and quickly felt herself doing the same.

Patience was then awakened by tiny touches and pressures against her huge flank. She heard chirps, rolling clicks, the odd yelp, then felt a slightly harder pressure against her calf.

Opening one eye and almost imperceptibly turning her head, she saw Mr. London and his four new hypsy pals gathered near her. London poked at her red scales with one hand, then urged his nervous new friends to do the same. They declined.

(This female Acrocanthosaurus atokensis is one of the largest theropod dinosaurs know to science, and a fine example of a mid-Cretaceous predator, don't you think?) Mr. London inquired in admiration. (Once classified as an allosaurid, acrocanths are now classified as carcharodontosaurids, meaning "great white shark toothed lizards," a family with a distinguishing characteristic of relatively more gracile, longer jaws, and more blade-like teeth than the legendary T. rex, used more for slicing flesh than clamping down and breaking bone. You can think of the differences in their styles of feeding and attack as roughly the same as those between Komodo dragons or sharks, and hyenas or heavy-jawed breeds of dogs like mastiffs or pit bulls.)

(While the top running speed of a Deinonychus, informally known as raptor, exceeds that of the Acrocanthosaurus, this theropod can still move quite quickly, and with a much, much greater stride. In a footrace, they might be evenly matched. The Deinonychus, however, has the greater agility and can turn in midstride-even in mid leap!-with practically the speed of thought.)

(So in an obstacle course or say, an extreme sporting event, you'd probably want to wager on the Deinonychus, whereas in a straight-line run or a contest of brute strength, the Acrocanthosaurus will be the winner. Not surprising, since it was a killer of sauropods and other giants.)

Patience closed her eye and pretended to sleep. The hardest part was not cracking up. She knew that if she laughed, the high-strung, diminutive herbivores wouldn't hear human chuckles. They would hear a gigantic predator growl, then a rumble and cough.

She didn't want to scare the gentle creatures. But Mr. L was talking like a museum curator! Or like he was back in a classroom. It was terrifyingly adorable. Not that she'd let him know that.

Carefully, one of the hypsy cocks strolled over to G.K.'s business end.

Patience watched in unconcern, certain that her fellow Acro was asleep. When they'd first reunited, her huge snout chambers had told her that the Green Knight had already eaten well. Somewhere down in the lowlands, under the cover of twilight, the male acrocanth had stalked and killed a Tenontosaurus bull, polishing off the entire thing before resuming tracking her. But he evidently wanted some dessert, for suddenly, G.K. sprang, using a hand to swipe the hypsy toward his mouth, his maw open wide to engulf it!

Patience growled loudly, and G.K. hesitated, looking at her in bafflement as Wu, startled awake, leapt to his feet with a cry and stood erect, thumb spikes at the ready as he turned about and demanded in agitation, (What's going on? Are raptors attacking us?)

She ignored Wu as she nodded at the bleating hypsy and firmly told G.K., (Let him go.)

So he did.

The hypsy ran like he'd seen a ghost, red eyes bulging, along with the other three, all gathering around Mr. London, who stood in front of his friends as they yelped and gave bleats of fear.

Suddenly exasperated, Patience yelled at G.K., (What do you want, anyway? Why do you keep following me? If you're hoping to get sexy time with me, you'd better look elsewhere, because that's gross and not who I am-not _what_ I am.)

(And a major relief for me to hear,) Wu muttered.

The ridgeback stared at her in a look that seemed almost hurt, his gaze narrowing and quills rising slightly.

He turned and walked away without a sound.

Patience lay on her side, watching him in the silver moonlight until he'd gone a thousand feet and stopped, sitting down and scratching himself, then casually looking at the stars, arranged in constellations totally different than the ones she knew in 2000 A.D.

Wu and Mr. London both came and sat down beside her. Bob's new friends were clustered twenty yards behind him, huddled around the one G.K. had nearly had for a snack. Other than some skin-deep punctures and cuts, he was unhurt.

(Thanks,) he said softly. (I hadn't considered-)

(No. I guess not.)

(I'm just grateful I didn't wake up to another pack of raptors,) Wu yawned.

Mr. London picked at his leaf-shaped teeth, freeing a little chunk of greens. (Do you feel like talking about what's going on with you and G.K.?)

(Not with _you_.)

Mr. London flinched, as if stung by her words.

(Sorry,) she said in remorse. (It's complicated.)

(I'll leave you to it, then.) Mr. London turned and slowly walked away. Wu just stood close by, not saying anything, putting on a show of indifference. Bob stopped and looked back at them three times, as if he was expecting her to call him back.

She didn't.

Sighing, he trotted back anyway.

(What?) she asked, truly annoyed. Then she noticed that the hypsy was shaking. So did Wu.

(Are you cold Bob?) he asked.

He looked away, glancing at his new friends. It came to her suddenly: he was worried about them. About _all_ of them, not just his hypsy friends. (No. I've just been thinking too much, that's all.)

Wu seemed to be thinking too, looking at the moon, the landscape around them.

(You know,) he ventured, (since it's probably-and hopefully-going to be our last night together, I-I'm thinking that as long as we're all up, we might as well practice some more of your girly-girl lessons. That all right with you?)

(Um-hum.)

(Are you any good at dancing?) Wu asked.

Patience snorted. (Why? Do you want to teach me?)

Wu nodded his beaked head. (If you're going to Will's party, and you really want that harpy Monique to buy into your act, you're going to need something more than just a makeover and a pretty dress. You need to have rhythm, sophistication, and be able to put it on display.)

(Right,) Patience said. She was no longer certain that she was going to Will's party quite frankly. So much had happened during her time here. Seeing her family, for one-

No-her _host's_ family, this _acro's_ family. She had to remember that.

(Here, take my hands,) Wu told her. (But just mind the thumb spikes.) He stood as far back on his hind legs as he could, arms outstretched.

Patience sighed and stood, tilting her own weight back. This was ridiculous.

But she took his mitten hands anyhow, hauling him to her roughly.

(Whoa, gently,) he told her, his chin resting on her shoulder, and her own on his, feeling the scales rubbing against her throat. (Gently. And be careful with your claws.)

(Whatever.)

(Just to let you know,) Wu said, (I'm a geneticist, far more at home in the laboratory than on a dance floor. I'm much more familiar with the dances of DNA replicating, genes being transcribed, and cells dividing to form tissues than I am with the foxtrot or ballroom. Still, I know just enough to get by and be of use to you. Hopefully.)

(You're still a lot further ahead than I am.)

(Now think of music,) Wu said. (That's the first step. Something slow.)

A rustling and crackling, the sounds of something big, came from their left. Will, Nedry, and Zane appeared-and the strains of Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" filled the night air. Zane was using his powers again. Runt and Nedry both trotted up beside him.

(Ahh,) Nedry said approvingly. (The King of Pop. Great choice.)

(I didn't know you could do that,) Will said, impressed.

(Both of you, shut up,) Zane grumbled. (You'll break my concentration.)

Patience felt uncomfortable enough to start with. Having an audience was only making it worse. And now, as if to subject her to further embarrassment, Muldoon came trotting out of the brushy conifers.

(There will always be other people around when you're at a party,) Wu told her from back by her shoulders. (That's frankly the point. And if it's any consolation, I'm having a bit of stage fright about this too.)

They didn't dance with heads on each other's massive shoulder the entire time. They also separated, so that Patience could watch Wu as she demonstrated dance steps to her. Nedry joined in too.

Clearly much more into the club scene than Wu, he had some _really_ good ones for her, including an awesome moonwalk. Patience listened attentively to both their instructions. Soon she was moving in pretty good time to Zane's tunes, performing the steps they'd taught her.

When Zane broke into a rendition of "A Whole New World," she and Wu took each other's hands again, draping their heads over each other's shoulders. It reminded her so much of the way a parent teaches a child to dance. Or maybe, a father and teenage daughter dancing together. For some reason, the thought made her deeply happy.

And indeed, Will asked, (May I cut in to this dad-daughter dance?)

(No,) Wu and Patience said in unison, as Nedry made a sound like a plane being shot down. They both glanced at each other and then laughed.

Zane wrapped up the music, and Patience released Wu's Iggy hands, both backing away from each other. They gave their partner a simple bow, and Patience turned to see G.K. staring in wonder and amazement.

(Just wait a moment, okay?) she told Wu. (I'll be back in a bit.)

(Take your time.)

She went to G.K. and gave a chuff of greeting, then nuzzled his cheek.

(I know this is difficult for you,) she told him softly, (but I just want to spend some time with Henry, okay buddy? When I'm done, you can come join us,) she promised. (Just behave yourself, okay?)

The Green Knight raised his head and shot Wu a baleful glance, quills bristling as he gave an angry growl of envy and spite. But to his credit, he then exhaled deeply and reluctantly turned his gaze away, showing he was willing to try to get along with and tolerate the Iggy bull that had come between them, which his love had an inexplicable attachment towards.

(I'm glad you understand,) she told him simply before giving him another nuzzle and returning back to Wu, sitting down next to him.

* * *

 **Wu.**

(Thanks for the help with the dance moves!) the acrocanth hailed Nedry as he, Zane, and the others moved off.

(Hey, any time!) Nedry replied. (Always glad to teach a novice what a pro like me has learned along the way, and cut loose with the groove while doing it too. Probably the last time I'll be enjoying getting down for a long while,) he growled, suddenly rueful.

She and Wu watched him leave.

(You know,) Patience said thoughtfully, softly, (ever since I read about Dennis in the book, and first met him back in this time, I only thought of him as a backstabbing punk and obnoxious jerk. But now…now, I think he's all right, really.)

(Yes,) Wu agreed. (He is. Like most people are, when you come down to it.)

(Yeah. We wouldn't have the amber key we needed to solve the mystery tomorrow if he hadn't found it, and then been the one to literally take a leap of faith and go get it out of the side of a sheer, dripping wet cliff.)

(No, we wouldn't,) Wu conceded. (We owe him a lot for finding the key. And when you were trapped in the swamp,) Wu said, (when Bob and I arrived on dry land, and told him you were in trouble, not only did he immediately get concerned and go get Zane to help, but came along too to help in any way he could.)

(Yeah,) she nodded. (I really appreciate that he did that for me.) Turning to Wu, she fixed her gaze right on him as she then half-pleaded, (You and Rob will go easy on him when you get back, won't you? I mean, he _did_ find the key for us, and although I know you must be cranky at him for betraying InGen and trying to steal your dinosaur embryos, he hasn't actually done anything yet.)

(Don't worry,) Wu assured her. (The worst that'll probably happen is that he'll probably get fired and get the legal equivalent of a slap on the wrist. He still needs to be held accountable for his intentions though, Patience-but Rob and I won't make the price for him too high, I promise.)

(Good to hear,) she exhaled.

They were both silent for a bit.

(So,) Patience said as she scratched her chest, (you going to go back to bed, or do you feel like just talking for a while?)

(I'm fine with talking,) Wu shrugged. (This Iguanodon body doesn't need nearly as much sleep during the course of a night as a human's.)

Patience nodded.

For a few moments, they just gazed up at the stars together.

(Just like that last song Zane sang, "A Whole New World," aren't they?) she asked, glancing at him. (Shining, shimmering, splendid,) she softly sang.

Wu nodded in agreement. (They truly are.)

(Yeah. I'm definitely not seeing any of the constellations I recognize back from our time though.)

(Which is only understandable,) Wu replied. (Many of those stars haven't even _formed_ yet in this time, and our solar system is also currently in a far different portion of the Milky Way galaxy, circling it and slowly going up and down, up and down, as if riding an impossibly huge merry-go-round through space. It will be two hundred million years before it starts a second revolution here again.)

(Wow. I remember Tyson telling me that,) Patience said with a melancholic sigh. (He was also the person who taught me about constellations, and how to look for them in the night sky.)

(Who was Tyson, if I may ask?)

(Helen's husband,) Patience replied. (He loved everything about the outdoors Henry, and was the closest thing to a true father I've ever had.)

(Did you live with him, or was he just someone you knew?)

(Yes,) Patience said softly, remembering. (I lived with him, I mean. He was in the state's foster system.)

(Foster system. So you must not have known your actual, biological father very well then?) Wu ventured carefully, knowing he was probably treading on thin ice.

(No,) Patience said morosely. Suddenly she jerked her head up and looked him right in his right eye, saying, (Remember when you took me to task for inserting myself too deeply into the acro clan after I finally found the key? And forming a weird bond of affection with G.K. over there?)

(Yes, I do.)

(And remember the explanation I gave?) she croaked.

Wu nodded. How could he not?

 _It's just that-that no one's truly been there for me until now. Nobody's stayed by me, appreciated me for who and what I am like they have. Like he has_.

(Well,) Patience said, hanging her head, (it's going to be difficult, but now I'm going to go into further detail about it.)

(Hey,) Wu said softly, sensing her distress. (It's okay Patience. You don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to.)

Patience gave a weird laugh, tinged with buried sadness.

(I got the ball rolling, haven't I? I might as well go for broke. And for some reason, I really do want to.)

Wu patiently listened.

(I had parents at one time,) Patience said. (And I was part of a family once, had a home and belonged somewhere. Until I was three.)

(Do you remember anything about that time at all?)

(Not much,) Patience replied, shaking her head. (I vaguely remember that the house wasn't all that fancy or much to look at, just your typical place in the suburbs or a town. A small lawn, a porch, a few shade trees. I think we had a cat or two, and a big brown dog. But it was so long ago.)

(That's still pretty good,) Wu replied. (How much do you remember about your parents, if that's all right for me to ask?)

(Not very much about my dad, I can certainly tell you that,) she said with a growl. (I don't have very many memories of him, and now I have the impression that he was really just some guy my mother had a one-night-stand with. He couldn't have cared less about me, and probably only showed up to visit me just barely enough times to satisfy my mom's requests to "be involved in my life.") Patience paused for a moment. (Fighting though-I certainly remember him and my mom fighting and yelling at each other. Her calling him a useless deadbeat, him saying that I was an accident and not his problem…) she thinly trailed off.

Wu reached out with his right foreleg and gently stroked her shoulder.

(Your mom was right,) he said softly. (He was a deadbeat indeed, and I'm very sorry he didn't want to get to know a wonderful daughter like you or take responsibility like a true father should.)

(Yeah. And I'm sorry too,) was her pained reply.

(My mother though,) she went on, (I remember her somewhat better. While I really can't remember what she looked like, I do remember that she was _young_ , Henry. Probably just a few years older than I am.)

(So you think she might've still been a teenager?)

She nodded. (At most, my mom was no older than twenty. And she was the first to leave me,) she added, her voice becoming a wiry, wrenching thing.

(What exactly do you mean by "she left you"?) Wu asked.

(What it sounds like. She just _left_ me Henry, brought me to a Macy's somewhere when I was three and a half and-and then just dumped me there!) she half wailed, half sobbed.

(My God,) Wu said sickly, his heart sinking at the ghastly idea. (That's terrible Patience. I can't believe she'd do such a thing.)

(Neither can I,) she choked, looking back up at the stars. (When I realized she wasn't around, I panicked, looked for her everywhere, running to any woman in the store that could be her. Then one of the security guards found me, and brought me to a police station…)

(Oh my God. That is just horrible, Patience. You have my deepest sympathies,) Wu told her, shaking his head in dismay. (I'm just glad you didn't get hurt while you were alone.) It really was an ugly world where a woman would abandon her daughter to experience such fear and loneliness-and betrayal.

(I was so confused and hurt for a long time,) Patience said, voice breaking. (I felt convinced that I had done something very wrong…and that my mom had left me forever to punish me for it.)

(It wasn't your fault Patience,) Wu told her gently. (Never was. If any sin was committed, it was by your mother, not you. Never you.)

(I guess,) she sighed miserably. (But I'll never understand. Never understand why she'd do such a cruel thing to me.)

They were both silent for a bit.

(It's hard to understand why any mother would do such a thing,) Wu agreed, (and I'm not excusing what she did to you in that Macy's for a single moment, is that clear?)

(Yep.)

(Good.) Wu paused for a bit, thinking. (But by giving explanations-well, possible ones-maybe I can help you at least come to terms. First of all Patience, it's a painful truth that sadly, some women just aren't really fit to be mothers.)

(No fucking kidding.)

(It's possible that in the past, your mother might've been neglected or even abandoned by her _own_ mother Patience. And that's why she then did the same to you.)

The acro growled. (Which I find to be total bullshit. If I had a kid, I would _never_ abandon them just because my own loser traitor mom decided to abandon me.)

(I know that you wouldn't Patience,) Wu said gently. (You'd never leave them. But sometimes, bad habits in families get passed down, just like genes, from parent to child, continuing to cause harm to each new generation.)

(That's really creepy to think about. Almost like some family curse.)

(And also,) Wu went on, (if your mother really was quite young when she had you-and again, I'm not defending her awful actions for a minute-she just might've been confused Patience, not been prepared or known how to cope with having a child. Especially if your father wouldn't lift a finger to help, and she had no support from relatives.)

Patience snarled in fury, not looking at anything. (Maybe. But if I was such a burden to that heartless witch, why didn't she just dump me someplace for some other family to take care of me, while I was still a baby?) she choked. (Why did she have to wait until I was already three years old, and realize what it meant to be cut off and betrayed, scared and alone?)

(I don't know,) Wu said simply, reaching out with his right arm and comfortingly hugging her, feeling the bristly quills and pebbly scales against his inner skin. (Perhaps it's better to simply imagine that it means that at least she tried, Patience. Cared about you enough to at least try.)

Closing her eyes, Patience nodded. (I suppose that's something. And that does make me feel a bit better, to think that my mom, young and alone as she was, at least _tried_ to do right by me for a little while-but she still left me Henry,) she amended forcefully, miserably, temper rising.

Wu sighed. (Well, I think we've talked about that incident enough now. Is there anything you want to tell me about Tyson? Or Helen?)

Patience softly nodded. (Sure. I spent several months in a group home run by the state of Montana. Then I went to live with a family who was enrolled in the foster system, wanted to take care of a kid who had no parents.)

(Tyson and Helen Sonnenfield,) she said thickly, looking back up at the sky. (Those were their names. They were an older couple, in their early forties, and had never been able to have children of their own. So they turned to the foster system to do something good for others and also satisfy that wish.)

(Sounds like they were very caring people,) Wu said.

She nodded in nostalgic fondness. (They sure were Henry. They officially adopted me a year later, and I lived at their house for over four wonderful years. They were the happiest years I've ever known in my entire life.)

Wu inwardly smiled. (That's great to hear. I'm glad you had happiness.)

(But it didn't last,) Patience said morosely. (Like everybody in my life has, they went away from me too.)

(Tyson was the first,) she said, voice breaking again. (Two and a half years after adopting me, Tyson, the man who was the best father figure I've ever had, went elk hunting.) She paused, and hung her head with a pained shudder. (While walking on a trail along a mountainside, part of it suddenly collapsed under his weight. He fell a hundred and sixty feet to the ground. Dead on impact.)

(Jesus Christ,) Wu replied. (What a horrible thing to have happen Patience. I can only imagine how devastating that must've been for both you and Helen.)

(It was terrible,) she confirmed. (It hurt both of us so bad Henry. He was the third person to leave me in my life, and it was all because of some goddamn freak accident! I've mourned and done the whole awful "If only" game more times than I want to tell.)

(Hmm.)

(But worse was yet to come,) Patience went on. (After Tyson's death, Helen managed to keep strong, and coped by giving me even more affection and care. It was just the two of us, and a very good time for me. Helen promised me we'd always be together, and I thought I could believe it. Until she got sick-and then had to go to the hospital,) she added, turning away from him, eyes shut in anguish.

(What did she get sick with, Patience?)

(Leukemia,) she said thinly.

Wu felt his heart sink again. He knew what that awful cancer of the blood and marrow did to a person, how it devastated and killed them. And Patience had to see that, all when she would've only been seven or eight years old and already lost her foster father…

(Oh,) he said simply. (I got it. I got it,) he repeated, nodding morosely.

(It wasn't fair,) Patience said bitterly. (My own parents turned their backs on me, I lose the closest thing to a dad I'd ever known, and then that _shit_ has to happen to her and me, right when I'd thought I'd found my home forever.)

(I am so sorry Patience,) Wu replied. (Cancer really is such an evil and cruel thing.)

(No shit it is. And just like when my real mom abandoned me in a department store, I was convinced that Helen's leukemia was all my fault, that I'd done something really bad _again_ , and was being taught a lesson to punish me. Or Helen had done something bad to deserve it. Sometimes I still feel that way.)

(Don't Patience,) Wu told her. (What happened with Helen getting leukemia was just a twist of fate. It wasn't your fault either. And it wasn't Helen's fault. It was nobody's fault, you understand?)

(I know,) she replied, sighing. (But it still really, really sucked Henry. And I don't think I'll ever get over it-especially after when she became sick enough that she couldn't take care of me, her relatives just stepped in and gave custody of me to an orphanage. They never let me see her again in the hospital, and never even let me know when she finally died Henry! Can you believe that?)

(No,) Wu said sincerely, disgusted. (No I can't.) He took a deep breath, then comfortingly hugged her again. (But back to Helen for now.)

(I miss her terribly Henry. Every time I think about her, there's this sick, painful twist in my chest.)

(That's what's known as a heartache. I know them too well from when my grandmother Fung died when I was twelve. But they go away in time, Patience.)

(I wish I'd stop having them right now.)

Looking thoughtfully at the stars, Wu then said, (You know Patience, scientists like me really aren't the type to wax mystical about things. But even I agree that life is a journey, one on which you've only just begun.)

(Yeah, but a journey to where?) Patience said dubiously. (To death? If so, that's a seriously creepy thought.)

(No, it's not that,) Wu said, shaking his head. (At least, I don't think so. I suppose it's to whatever you want it to be. To be successful, to have a family, to be popular and liked, to have a good job, to make a difference in the world, to live your dreams…the goal is however you interpret it, I'd say,) he shrugged. (Truth is though, I don't think anyone can say for certain what the point of it is, where it leads-or even if there is a point at all. I'd like to think there is though,) he added. ("And the world's great story is left untold,") he said meditatively. ("And the message is still unsaid.")

(So what's the point you're getting at?)

(That you're on a journey too Patience,) Wu replied. (And like on every journey, we meet a lot of people along the way, some whose company we enjoy-and some who we end up wishing lived on a different planet.)

She laughed. (Tell me about it!)

(It's just a tragic and bitter fact though,) he went on, (that not all of the people we meet end up staying with us nearly as long as we'd like them to, no matter how hard we try or wish it. We can only move on, and maybe try to make the best of it.)

(Make the best of it,) she said morosely. (Story of my life right now.) She shook her head helplessly. (And tomorrow, if things go according to plan, you're going to be the latest person in my life to leave me too.)

Wu felt his heart break a little when she said that.

(You told me, back at the acro clan's den,) she said suddenly, (that if you could, you'd bring me-the real, human me-back to Jurassic Park, where I'd always have a home with you and the others, and you'd all care for me-care about me. Did you honestly mean that, Henry? Would you really do that, if you had that power?)

Wu hesitated. But only for a moment or two.

(Yes,) he said with feeling. (Yes, Patience. I would bring you to the island if I could-maybe even adopt you as my own new daughter. If you were okay with that.)

(Oh God…) she said, close to losing it. (Of course I would be! Thank you. Just when I'd thought I'd never encounter someone like Tyson ever again…) And now, she hugged him, clearly filled with gratitude over such a sentiment.

But then she drew back, giving a thin whine. (But you can't, can you Henry? You can't make the machine send my body into another universe.)

(No,) Wu replied, sighing. (I can't. If only I could.)

(That really sucks,) she said. (It's all right though. Because after tomorrow-I'll still remember you, at least. I remember everybody who goes away,) she said shakily.

It reduced him to silence, and Wu could only nuzzle her gently.

They were quiet once more for a while, just listening to the sounds of their last night in the Mesozoic.

Then Patience spoke again.

(You know,) she said reflectively, (when I first ended up in this time and this body, I was just majorly pissed at Mr. London for being such a fricking imbecile and turning on the M.I.N.D. Machine on a second time. I wanted to kick him into the next zip code for dragging me into this.)

Wu lightly chuckled. (That's understandable. I wasn't very delighted with him either, as I'm sure you know.)

She nodded. (But although I know he didn't know or intend for his science fair project to go all wonky in the way that it did, a part of me was also kind of furious at Bertram Phillips too, for making the damn machine to begin with.)

(Bertram? You mean the kid who spoke to us in that strange storm of blue lightning and told us what we had to do?)

(The very same.)

(What's he like, if I may ask?)

(He's actually a lot like you, Henry. He's average height, has black hair, wears dark-rimmed glasses. He lives alone with his dad, who's actually a professional paleontologist. And Bertram is very smart,) she added. (Computers, dinosaurs, genetics, astronomy, geology-he's a walking encyclopedia really, full of knowledge. I honestly think he could even give you a run for your money in the smarts department Henry,) she said.

Wu laughed lightly, more out of approval than anything else. (So he's the school's polymath-in-residence, I take it?)

(A poly-what now?)

(Polymath,) Wu repeated. (It means someone who's a master in multiple subjects.)

(Oh. That's Bertram then.)

(Anyway,) Patience said, (the point is, I was sort of ticked off at him too for building the machine responsible for this. But you know what?) she commented softly. (Now, I'm actually kind of glad that he did-and not just because of this adventure I've been on or all the knowledge I've gained.)

(Why are you glad?)

(Because,) she said sincerely as she leaned her body into his side, (if Bertram had never made the machine, and Mr. London had never turned it on, I would never have met G.K. over there. And I would've never met you either.)

Patience sighed and rumbled in pleasure. (I've always wanted a dad Henry. And you've been like one.)

(I appreciate hearing that Patience. Thank you. And you want to know something?) he asked. (There's always been a small part of me that's wanted a daughter.)

(I don't remember reading anything in the book about you having kids or a family.)

(No,) Wu confirmed, shaking his head. (I'm a consummate bachelor, married only to my work as a geneticist and cellular biologist. Life in the lab is more my style than the domestic option.)

(Do you have any girlfriends?)

(In the past, yes,) he said. (And I've made love with some of them too. But I don't have any ladies in a relationship with me at the moment. I'm just much too busy cloning dinosaurs and directing teams of other researchers on the island,) he shrugged.

(If you like that sort of thing, that's fine, I guess,) Patience replied in what seemed like pity. (But I think that's really sad, that you don't have anybody.)

(Oh, don't feel sorry for me,) Wu told her. (It doesn't bother me Patience. And personally, I've never bought into the idea that every man's ultimate goal in life should be to find a lovely young woman, marry her, and then sire two or three kids, which you then raise in some nice house in the suburbs somewhere-or even better yet, out in the country,) he snorted.

(Yeah, me neither,) she agreed. (As a chick's role, I mean. In fact, I really don't think I ever want to get married either. And having a kid? No thanks,) she shuddered.

(Well,) Wu said softly. (You never know. You might feel differently a few years down the road Patience.)

(Still nope. Ain't gonna happen.)

(Which is just fine,) Wu said. (There's nothing wrong with choosing the type of life I have, to just be single and unattached, believe me.)

(Still,) he went on reflectively, sighing as he moved his left hand about in the dirt, (there are times, once in a while, when I wonder, what if? What if I'd chosen to live my life a little differently, and bring a woman into my home? Proposed to her and tied the knot? Started a family with her? Would it make me feel as satisfied and fulfilled as the media always tells you it will? Or would it just be a burden and an annoyance?)

Suddenly, an image came to Henry Wu's mind then. It was the image of an hourglass, filled with sand pouring down from the top chamber, the level steadily dropping… And he'd just come so close so many times to losing his life today…

(I think you'd make a great husband and dad myself,) Patience supplied. (Really Henry. You're smart, have a great job, lots of degrees. You're brave and you treat people fairly, do what's right. You stuck up for Zane whenever I said that he was dumb or was a jerk to him, and comfort me when I'm lonely or sad, get worried about me when I'm in danger. You should really think about it when you get back.)

Wu shook his head. (That's nice, but I'm already thirty-three Patience. I'm too old now.)

She snorted. (Oh, come on. Thirty-three is _not_ too old for a grownup like you. You still have time.)

Wu inwardly smiled, charmed by her insistence. (If you say so. And maybe I'll act on your suggestion when I get sent back. Yes, maybe I will.)

(Good. I hope you do. You deserve it, I think.)

They were silent again. Patience yawned, and they looked at the fire together.

(Amazing, isn't it?) Wu said. (The first deliberately made campfire in all of history.)

(Well, not technically the first,) she pointed out. (Will made at least one already before we came along, remember him telling us that? So more like the second or third.)

(You're right,) Wu said. (I forgot about that. All the same though, it's an awe-inspiring concept to contemplate.)

(No kidding.) Patience laughed. (I wonder if there's any chance paleontologists will find the remains of this campfire in the future. That'll really freak them out!)

Wu chuckled. (The chance of our fire ring being preserved in that way is pretty slim under these conditions, unfortunately. For one thing, structures associated with the activities of living creatures-also known as trace fossils-need to be buried relatively quickly by mud, sand, volcanic ash, or other particulate matter-and none of that is to be found here at the moment. And besides, this upland country is subject to blowing winds, to earthquakes and landslides, rain falling on the peaks-all of which are highly likely to disperse the ash and coals, as well as the rocks placed around it in time.)

(Still, what do you think scientists would do if they found it in our time?)

(They'd probably think of it and explain it away as either a hoax or an anomaly,) Wu replied. (A fluke of nature that just happened by chance. Some of the more open-minded scientists might wonder and suspect, but they'd hardly go public and say out loud that they believed this was a deliberately made and lit fire…at least, not if they valued their reputations. Only the most far-out crackpot would ever believe that dinosaurs were capable of making fires for warmth,) he laughed. (Minus us.)

She laughed too. (Yeah. No sane scientist would take this at face value. Too much of a monkey wrench.)

Wu nodded. (And if by some slim chance they did…well, knowledge can be shocking at times, and hard to accept, but it's always preferable to ignorance,) he said meaningfully.

(Agreed.)

(But even better than that is wisdom,) Wu added. (And as much as I hate to say it, that's a quality that's been somewhat lacking on Isla Nublar lately, I've realized.)

Patience chuckled again, with warmth and pride. (I think your time in a dinosaur has been good for you Henry.)

(I think so too. Hell, I know it has. So did having a certain sauropod and acrocanth reveal to me what would've been in my future, giving me a warning in the nick of time,) he added gratefully. (I owe my life and the park's success to you and Zane telling us what would've happened, and I won't forget that anytime soon,) he said thickly.

(Hey, no problem.)

(And speaking of forgetting,) he said, (although I know they must be painful for you sometimes Patience, I'm glad to know you remember everyone who's vanished from your life. In fact, I'd be concerned if you didn't.)

(What do you mean?)

(Because it means that you care about and value people,) Wu told her simply. (That they were important to you. And besides, if you forgot about other people that quickly, then you'd forget about me that quickly too.)

(Oh, Henry,) Patience said as she leant against him once more and hugged him. (Believe me, I'd never forget you quickly. Or even slowly. But yeah, I'll miss you.)

Suddenly, she yawned. (Oof, I'm getting tired again,) she said as she pulled away. (We've still got an important task ahead of us tomorrow, and I've had enough of the touchy-feely stuff. How about some shut-eye now, so that we're well-rested?)

(That's fine,) Wu said, stretching out, then relaxing again.

(I'd better call G.K. over,) Patience muttered, turning to look in his direction. (Poor dude, left out in the cold while we chat on and on. You're okay with him bedding down with us, I hope?)

Wu hesitated. He knew that the male acro was possessive towards Patience, and was jealous of the fact that she had a close relationship with him too, a plant-eating dinosaur that any normal ridge-back would either ignore or kill on the spot if they could.

(I suppose,) he replied warily. (But the idea makes me more than a little nervous.)

(Don't worry, he had a good dinner already,) she assured him. (I could smell it when we first met.)

(That's a relief to hear,) Wu sighed. (Still though, I know from the dens that he doesn't like having me around you.)

(I know. But maybe things will be okay if you sleep on one side of me, and he sleeps on the other. That way, if he gets aggressive, I can easily block him, while you get away.)

(That might work,) Wu agreed.

So Patience raised her head, got to her feet, and gave a friendly chuff in G.K.'s direction, softly calling, (Ok G.K.! We're ready to have you come join us for bed.)

The male acro immediately got to his feet with an excited rumble, and strode in their direction. As he got closer, Wu could see that he was both excited to be at Patience's side, yet also irritated at the idea that the same Iguanodon bull was going to be impinging on their private time.

Wu felt his body tense. He knew that he was in a very vulnerable position if the other acrocanth decided he wasn't welcome and attacked, lying down like this. But he didn't dare get up, didn't dare rise onto his four feet or do anything that could be interpreted as defiance or aggression. And indeed, when G.K. snarled at the geneticist as he came close, Wu actually shut his eyes and turned his head away, behaving as submissively as possible.

(Easy,) Patience told the acro as she sat down. (He's all right G. K. Everything's all right. Just ignore him and sit down by me. Just relax. He means no harm.)

Wu heard a rumble again. Carefully opening an eye, he saw the male acro sitting down on his pubic boot, regarding Patience with affection as she laid down, but refusing to look at him, his quills half-erect as he gave the odd growl of irritation. He supposed that was what could be called a display of petulant tolerance.

(He's okay,) Wu heard her reassure the other acro again. (Just a friend. Now let's all go to sleep.)

And so they did, Wu on her left side, the Green Knight on her right.

As Patience drifted off, feeling just oddly affectionate and protective, Wu decided to sing to her before he nodded off too. Tapping into his memories, he gently filled the air with a Cantonese lullaby from his own childhood, "Moonlight Bright."

(Moon's bright, shining over a fish pond. Oh little one, better be good and sleep soundly on your bed,) he sang.

When he'd finished, he closed his eyes, and began to enter into dreamland. But then he felt a thick, scaly tail caressing his own.

 _That's Patience_ , he thought, touched as he inwardly smiled and slightly raised his head, partly opening his right eye.

But the tail wasn't hers. To his surprise and delight, it was the Green Knight who was doing it, tail curved to stroke his Iguanodon one in evident affection and acceptance, very softly.

* * *

 **The quote Wu says in this chapter in regards to the purpose of life is taken from _The Animals Noah Forgot_ , a poem by the famous Australian poet Banjo Peterson.**

 **Operation Noah is of course, a real event that Muldoon's character was just begging to be inserted into. With at least 6,000 individual wild animals saved from starvation or drowning-impala made up the greatest number of captures, with 1,866 saved at the end of the day-it is the largest wildlife rescue in history, and a display of heroism and commitment that deserves far more awareness and attention than it has received to date.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Wu.**

Later that night, in the small hours of the morning, hunger woke Wu up again. This great herbivore needed yet more fodder.

Patience was on his right side, pressing against him for warmth. Carefully, respectfully, he tilted his body away from her and then got to his feet. As Wu began to walk away, the sound of his footsteps woke her.

(Henry?) Patience said drowsily, raising her head, eyes half-open. (Where are you going?)

(To use the facilities and eat another ration of plants,) he told her. (I'll be back soon.)

(Ok,) she nodded, closing her eyes again.

Wu strode a few hundred yards away, walking over a small ridge. From the other side, he heard a gentle crunching.

It proved to be Muldoon, the Sauropelta extending his long neck to bite and eat conifer twigs.

On seeing Wu, he raised his head.

(Oh, hello there Henry,) he said. (Did I happen to wake you?)

Wu shook his head. (No. I just got up and came over this way to browse myself.)

(Well, we've got a good selection on the menu tonight,) the Sauropelta playfully replied. (Bushy conifers, flowering bushes, horsetails, club mosses and ferns…)

Wu inwardly grinned. (I'll be so happy when we get back into our own bodies and can eat proper human food again, instead of having to bulk-load browse like a sentient moose.)

(And so will I,) Muldoon agreed. (Along with a lot of other things. At least the taste buds of our dinosaur bodies don't find this forage half bad,) he said as he swallowed. (Which makes sense, I suppose.)

For a time the geneticist and game ranger just grazed alongside each other in the moonlight, chewing and swallowing, making gentle tearing and crunching sounds.

(Rob,) Wu said suddenly as he tilted his head to look down at the Sauropelta with his left eye, (do you think I'd make a great father?)

Muldoon was surprised. (What brought a question like that about?)

(Nothing, really,) Wu replied. (It's just that…I've come very close to losing my life today-and evidently would've on Isla Nublar anyway. So that's understandably made me pause and look back on both my life to date and my future goals in a whole new light.)

Muldoon nodded. (Can't say I blame you. I'm very impressed and pleased by the way, about how you, a geneticist of all people, sorted out the raptor pack which came for you in the forest. Killed the dominant male no less,) he added, chuckling in proud amusement.

(I thought you would be. Anyway though Rob, I know that Arnold has three children of his own of course. And Hammond had five in the course of his life. You're the father of fraternal twins yourself, Mark and Molly. So I'm just wondering-what if, after the park opens at last, what if I took a turn too?)

(So you're feeling broody towards something other than dinosaurs, huh?)

(Perhaps.) he said wistfully.

(Well,) Muldoon said simply. (Whether you want to get married to a woman and have children of your own is ultimately your choice, Henry. But as for your question, I'd say yes. Yes, I feel you'd do wonderfully as a father, and I for one, would be delighted to see that happen to you someday.)

Wu inwardly smiled. (Thanks. Why do you think that?)

(Look no further than how you've stepped up to be like one for Zane and Patience back there,) Muldoon responded, gesturing with his tail. (I am really and truly impressed, by how you've been willing to take the reins of discipline with them and be a good role model too. You've always encouraged Zane to believe in himself, chided Patience whenever she's gotten out of line, show concern for them if they're in distress or trouble.)

(You've also got an even temper, keep your cool even when something or someone is getting on your nerves. And since a big part of your job of late has been to supervise the other researchers at the park, direct and guide their efforts-well, I suspect that's fairly good practice and experience for disciplining _totos_ in the future.)

(I do too. In fact, sometimes I think dealing with difficult children would be easier by an order of magnitude when compared to some of the people under me in the lab that I have to put up with,) he muttered.

Muldoon laughed. (Lord save us from the incompetent and bullheaded, huh?)

(Oh yes.)

(And then there's the fact that as I told Patience to comfort her after you got swept off your feet, you are an astonishingly bright man Henry. But there's no need to tell you that.)

(No,) Wu replied, inwardly smiling with pride, thinking of all the feats he and his intellect had achieved in his life. (Definitely not.)

(If there's any truth to the idea that intelligence runs in the bloodline…) Muldoon said meaningfully. (I can only barely imagine what the progeny of a man who graduated from Stanford _and_ brought living, breathing dinosaurs back to life from the ancient blood cells in prehistoric biting insects would be capable of, how brilliant they would be. Awesome prodigies, that's what,) he said, shaking his beaked head. (Hell, now that you've got me thinking about it, I'd go so far as to say now that it would be a terrible waste of potential for you to not keep your line going Henry. It's very much worth thinking about indeed.)

(You're right. It is worth considering,) Wu agreed. (But to father children, first you need to find a woman to well, impregnate. Do you think I have any real chance as marriage material Rob?)

(I think you've got a decent shot myself,) Muldoon replied. (You're soft-spoken, not prone to bursts of temper-and when you've had enough of someone being a bloody annoyance, you usually show it in a measured manner. You're tall, and I'd say lithe in form, slender but not scrawny, walk with what I'd call an elegant gait and posture. And again, you're extremely smart-which makes you good at conversation, and I suspect you could also be quite witty if you put your mind to it. Brushing up on being more cultured would be a positive too.)

Wu lightly laughed. (Then that's something I'd better start doing when we get back post haste. And not to make you feel uncomfortable or anything Rob, but what do you think of my features? Do you think a woman would find me handsome?)

Muldoon shifted uneasily before saying, (Well, I'm not really the type to judge other men that way, Henry.)

(Just try me,) Wu coaxed.

(All right. Take this as you will, but yes, I think you do have handsome features that a woman would find attractive. There's not a visible scar on you, you have brilliant teeth when you smile, a nice shade of brown to your eyes, lips that aren't too thin or too full, and a face that looks as symmetrical as any I've ever seen. To make a long story short, you're not a bad-looking chap.)

(That's both encouraging and flattering to hear from you.)

(Just don't start getting a big head on me now,) Muldoon jokingly cautioned, making them both chuckle.

(But now let's turn this on its head,) the game ranger went on. (What are you looking for in a woman, Henry?)

Wu hesitated. (I've never really sat down and thought about that,) he admitted. (I can only say that it's the sort of thing I'd know when I saw her.)

(Not to sound shallow here,) he went on, (but I'm just going to be honest and admit that looks and beauty would play a big role in catching my interest.)

(Understandable.)

(And there are certain races that appeal to me more than others,) Wu said. (It's probably a mixture of like-attracts-like, my cultural background, and just the plain exotic appearance and grace, but I'd prefer a woman who like me, is also of Asian descent. Or Pacific Islander, maybe. Hispanic women and other mixed race ladies too, I find to be very attractive as well…But let's discuss this topic in more depth later when we get back, ok Rob?)

(That's fine.)

(And speaking of when we get back to our own bodies at the park-Lord willing,) Wu added, mentally crossing his fingers, (there's a second, more important subject I want to talk about with you Rob, that we'll have to deal with the minute we get back into our proper bodies.)

(You're talking about Mr. Double Agent Nedry over there, aren't you?) Muldoon said knowingly.

(Exactly. And I've been thinking about we should handle the situation and his punishment…)

* * *

 **Nedry.**

Dennis Nedry slept coiled up in a ball by the dying fire, troodontid muscles twitching underneath his silver-spangled blue feathers as he dreamt.

In his dream, he was back in his human body, running from a pair of dinosaurs through the jungles of Isla Nublar. Instead of being a pair of raptors, his pursuers were much smaller, moose-sized versions of Patience's Acrocanthosaurus and Zane's Astrodon, both wearing judge's robes as they shouted at and lambasted him.

And then, suddenly, right in his path, were Wu and Muldoon in their full-sized, dinosaur bodies, looming above him as they regarded him with a furious, condemning stare.

(Thief,) Wu growled.

(Fat bastard,) Muldoon spat.

Then they both charged him, bellowing and roaring.

With a yell of terror, Nedry turned to the left and ran, racing down a trail that went between two groves of trees. And suddenly, the mud and dead fern leaves became cold concrete. The trunks of the trees became thinner, much shorter, turned silver in color, morphing into prison bars. Nedry's street clothes became an orange prison jumpsuit.

The entire forest vanished, and Dennis found himself in a prison cell with a cement floor, ceiling, and all four walls composed of steel bars. Patience and Zane, now back to hulking, massive dinosaurs, were there, staring at him with unjustified accusation and scorn. So were Wu and Muldoon, once more human. Arnold was there too, smoking a cigarette and glaring. And then, the little group parted to reveal a sneering, elderly figure, clutching a pair of handcuffs in one hand.

Hammond.

The other people eagerly gathered around as Hammond, tight-lipped, went to the lock in the front door of the cell and took out an ancient-looking key, glancing from it to Nedry and back to the key with a predatory, tense anticipation.

As the door swung inward, Hammond snapped out, "Bring him to his knees! Beat this ingrate!"

"No, don't!" Nedry shouted out. "Let me explain! John's using you all! I'm not some evil villain here, just someone who only wanted what I was ow-"

But it was no use. There were too many of them, and Zane was using a huge hind leg to block the entrance, even as he stirred the group into a greater frenzy by droning on about Nedry's planned misdeeds.

Soon, Nedry was lying on the concrete, battered and bruised, and Hammond was walking towards him with that smug coolness, cuffs in hand.

Grabbing both his wrists, the Billion Dollar Bastard yanked Nedry's arms into the air and slapped the handcuffs on them with a loud snap, yelling in his face, "You're nothing now, Dennis! We're all going to send you away to rot in a cell like this, show everyone what a rat you-"

And then, suddenly, Nedry found himself woken by the sensation of something scaly, thin and bumpy gently tapping his back. Accompanying the feeling was a British voice softly urging, (Wake up Dennis.)

Nedry groaned, and curled up tighter. (Leave me alone, Mildew,) he groaned in annoyance. (Just let me enjoy the last sleep I'll probably ever have as a free man-so to speak-for a long while.)

But he was tapped harder now, as Wu's voice spoke now. (Dennis, get up. We want to talk to you for a few minutes about what'll happen when we get sent back to the park.)

(I already know what'll happen,) Nedry replied scathingly, not opening his eyes. (You'll have some security guards come and detain me, then one of you holier-than-thou asses will call a police launch fro-)

(Actually, that's not what we have planned for you,) Muldoon interjected. (At least, not anymore.)

That got Nedry's attention. Curious and suspicious, he opened his eyes and raised his slim head. Before him stood the massive form of Wu just twelve feet away. Muldoon, having prodded Nedry awake by tapping him with his long Sauropelta tail, was turning about to face him in profile.

(What do you mean by that?) Nedry said warily.

(We'll tell you,) Wu replied. (But first, let's move away from Zane and Harriet here so that we don't disturb them.)

So Nedry uncoiled his tail, stood up, and followed them. He was half-expecting to be suckered somehow, have one of the two larger dinosaurs suddenly flip out and bite or shove him, something. So he kept a little bit of distance, knowing he had superior agility and speed compared to either member of the duo.

Wu and Muldoon both led him for 120 yards away from the fire. Then they stopped, and did an about-face, looking at him head-on, heads titled to look into his eyes better.

Nedry sighed in irritation. (You know, if both of you are going to get all self-righteous right now and skewer me for being such an evil, evil person for going over to BioSyn, do me a favor and just save it for the trial. Plus, I know what you two are going to say, how I'm a "lying disgusting backstabbing bast-")

(Actually,) Muldoon cut in, (while neither Henry nor I are at all pleased with your planned actions toward InGen, that's not our intention at all Dennis.)

He looked at them quizzically. (Then why'd you bring me out here?)

Wu sighed. (Part of me can't believe we're doing this, but Muldoon and I were just talking, and-well, we've decided to present you with an offer that I'd recommend you accept-because it's a lot better than jail.)

(Ok. Are you talking having my sentence reduced to a fine or something?)

(Here's the deal Dennis,) Wu proposed. (Rob and I-once more, we're understandably somewhat cross with you for plotting to steal embryos for Dodgson and shutting off the power. But at the same time, we also understand your frustration too, can at least see it your way.)

(Oh happy day!) Nedry said half-sardonically. (Finally you get it!)

(And we're also all very much aware that if it wasn't for you,) Muldoon added, (we wouldn't have the amber key required to do whatever we need to do around here tomorrow.)

(Damn right you wouldn't,) Nedry replied pointedly. (I went out on a limb and then some to get that precious object for you. Nice to be getting some recognition though.)

(And that's why we've decided to give you're a fairer shake than a jail cell,) Muldoon said. (A sporting chance, and, well-you tell him Henry.)

Nedry cocked his head as Wu nodded.

Exhaling, the Iguanodon which he'd thought was going to break his back yesterday with one bite spoke.

(Once more, I'm amazed that I've even considered doing this,) Wu said, shaking his long head, (but here's what's in it for you. First, Muldoon and I will pretend to turn a blind eye for twelve hours after we get sent back.)

(And then you sound the traitor alarm, right?) Nedry guessed. (You're giving me a good head start to make tracks before one or both of you squeal.)

(Yes,) Muldoon confirmed. (But there's more,) he said, glancing at Wu.

(Also,) Wu said in that measured tone, (I will allow you to take a total of twenty frozen embryos, from ten species, with whatever gadget you were planning to use to smuggle them out.)

Nedry could not believe his ears. (Are you serious?) he said in astonishment. (You're pulling my leg in some sick type of prank, aren't you?) he said skeptically.

(No, I'm not,) Wu said. (I know it seems incredible, but we both know that you won't get the money from Dodgson otherwise, and that he'll look upon you a lot more favorably, let's just say, for bringing him something back for all his trouble.)

(Holy hell. You can't be serious. I can't believe you're just letting me walk away with twenty of your precious embryos, Henry!) Nedry said, shaking his head. This had to be some trick.

(Neither can I,) Wu snorted. (I suppose I must be having a lapse of judgement and logic. They aren't the sort of things a sane person gives out like Halloween candy. But the history of life does teach us that competition among others is often a good thing in the long-term, encouraging diversity.)

(Not to look a very generous gift Iguanodon in the mouth here,) Nedry carefully said, (but Dodgson told me he wanted me to bring back fifteen species.)

(I'll only allow you to make off with ten,) Wu said flatly. (If Lewis becomes irritated at you for not bringing back everything on the roster, just tell him that you saw me or one of the other scientists coming, and you had no choice but to get out of the lab with what you could,) he shrugged. (Ten species, Dennis. Twenty embryos. Take the offer or leave it.)

This was as good as it got. He really shouldn't push the issue, he knew.

(I'll take that then,) Nedry accepted. (Yeah, I'll take that. But what's the bitter part of this now? What's the catch?) he said, giving them a sidelong glance.

(Well, first-and most importantly,) Wu replied sternly, (you'll tell me _exactly_ what you did to shut down the security systems, and what either I or Arnold need to do to turn the power back on without having to reset the entire grid.)

(Why do I need to tell _you_?) Nedry said, puzzled. (Can't I just do it myself after handing the dino embryos off to Lew's guy on the boat?)

(No,) Muldoon rumbled. (Because you're going to be staying on that boat if you know what's good for you.)

(You mean…you're basically banishing me?)

(Yes,) Wu said. (Twelve hours from when we get sent back, I'm going to pretend to have discovered the theft, put two and two together after talking with Arnold-and we'll have gotten the power back on by then of course-and then notify Hammond about what you've done.)

(Great,) Nedry sniped. (Give the old bastard even more of a reason to be pissed off at me, and make yourself look like some huge goody-goody hero. Really nice, Henry,) he spat.

(I'd say I _am_ being pretty nice,) Wu replied, eyes narrowing.

(From that moment on,) Muldoon said pointedly, (you, Nedry, are going to be _persona non grata_ on Isla Nublar, and for that matter, any of InGen's properties. So I'd run, Dennis. While I still could. Run away, and never even think about returning.)

(Unless you really _do_ want to be arrested,) Wu added. (And that's not an empty threat.)

They had him over a barrel. And this was as good and generous an offer as he could reasonably hope for.

(All right,) Nedry conceded. (So you'll let me take twenty dinosaur embryos and run for safety and a new life in the arms of Lewis Dodgson and BioSyn. In return, I tell you what to do to bring everything back online again, then make like a banana and split, never darkening InGen's doorstep again.)

(Precisely,) Wu said. (And if you're as smart as I think you are, you'll agree to our deal.)

(Well, let's just say that I'm nobody's fool. Offer accepted, guys.)

And they even shook on it.

A few minutes later, when Nedry walked back to where Zane and Runt were sleeping on their bellies, heads drooped, Harriet was sitting up, blinking her eyes. She greeted him with a soft chirp and coo.

(Hi yourself,) Nedry replied as he sat down six feet away from her. Unlike Patience, he would never debase himself by snuggling with a dumb animal, no matter if he was in the body of a member of the same species or not. It was just like how his dad, growing up, would never allow their wirehaired terrier, Shirley, to ride in the front seat of the car or sleep in anyone's bed, no matter how much she begged. Nor could Sylvester, their black-and-white cat. It was improper, and besides, animals needed to know their place.

As he coiled up again like a fox, Harriet walked over and began to groom his plumage. He decided to tolerate it.

But when she sat down next to him and gave an inquiring purr, requesting that he groom her now, it was too much for Nedry.

Head lunging forward, he bit her hard on the shoulder.

The female troodontid gave a chirp of surprise and leapt to her feet, backing away and giving him a hard stare. She obviously didn't like that. Was she going to bite him back in return?

(Leave me the hell alone you damn turkey,) Nedry hissed. (And if you try to bite me back, I'll return it tenfold, you hear me?)

But Harriet just stood in place. There was something about her, perhaps in her large dark eyes, or the way her head was slightly lowered, that made him feel inexplicably guilty for having bitten her. The damn prehistoric turkey actually seemed hurt, reproachful, and Nedry was then oddly ashamed of himself.

(That was a jerk move,) he admitted. (I'm sorry I did that, okay?)

Harriet gave an upset little bark.

Nedry sighed. (Come here mam,) he gently told her, touching the ground next to him. (I'll be more of a gentleman this time, all right?) Carefully, in a considered fashion, eyes always on him, Harriet walked back over.

Breathing rapid, ready to run, clearly expecting to be bitten or shoved away again, the troodontid warily sat down. Nedry turned away to help put her more at ease.

When Harriet was seated next to him, he turned his head back towards her. Lowering it, he opened his jaws-and despite his discomfort, began to groom between her shoulders. When he was finished, he allowed her to affectionately groom as much of his feather coat as she could too.

And once that was complete, for the first time since he'd seen her following them, Nedry didn't force Harriet to sleep in a spot which was well away from him. Instead, he let her stay where she was, at his side, feeling her warm body press up against his own, her heart beating as he inwardly smiled.

Maybe this prehistoric turkey wasn't such a nuisance after all…

And closing his eyes, Harriet breathing softly next to him, Dennis Nedry went back to sleep.

* * *

 **Toto is the Swahili word for child. As before, practice the 2 R's!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Zane.**

Zane was dreaming about being back home, in his own body, his own bed, with Fred, his pet tiger salamander, and Misty, his leopard gecko, walking around in their cages. Suddenly, the alarm clock sounded. He rolled on his side and tried to pull a pillow over his head to block out the sound. Only-he wasn't in bed, and there were no pillows.

(What the fuck!) Nedry shouted.

(God, make it stop!) Patience yelled. Her acrocanth boyfriend growled beside her, and the hypsys ran.

(Whaa?) Wu sleepily went from the other side of her.

Zane shook himself awake, got back on his belly, and the harsh noise stopped. He blinked a few times and found Mr. London standing in front of him, looking up at his head like a dog.

(Well, that was one of the weirder wakeup calls I've ever gotten,) Wu muttered.

(You have to be able to control your imaginative powers,) the Hypsilophodon lectured. (Everything's riding on it!)

(Jesus, relax,) Muldoon chided. (All he did was wake us up properly.)

(Yes, I know, I know…) Zane shook his neck as he got back up to his feet. Beside him, Runt did too, sneezing.

Their offbeat herd came together, and after allowing the herbivores time to fill their bellies with a nutritious breakfast of plants, they all had a good drink, and then headed off to their destiny at Ground Zero.

But there was something they took back from the northern part of the great lake, that they hadn't had with them when they'd come down to its shores for the last time. As Muldoon walked, Nedry sat on his bone-studded back, pitchfork hands holding a huge mesh bag woven from roots and the fibers of ferns. Inside it were the half-shells of eggs. Sauropod eggs.

They took a careful, roundabout route Will had chosen in order to keep their scent and presence hopefully concealed from the huge Deinonychus nearby, Zane always keeping alert for them. They walked together, or in single file through valleys, around rock slides, over small rises, and toward a long stretch of beautiful mountains a mile ahead with a measured, easy grace as Leo and Harriet chased and played with each other, Carl soon joining in.

Zane didn't bother to ask any more if they were there yet. Certain members of their band-like Patience and Nedry-had gotten irritated the last eight times he'd done that, and besides, he'd felt the same general tug from his mental connection to this place for some time.

The biggest excitement of the morning had been coming across an Iguanodon crossing in use. A different species than Wu's host body, they were slightly smaller and yellow ochre in color with brown patches. A mountain-adapted species, Mr. London guessed.

(Just ahead,) the hypsy thoughtfully said. (Slow down.)

Patience cocked her craggy head to peer down at him. (What? You've gotta go do your business or something?) Zane knew that over the last three days, he and the other plant-eaters in their group had passed quite a bit of manure out of their cloacas.

(Lose the attitude,) Will said. (We're here.)

(Do you treat your teammates on the basketball court like this?) Mr. London asked her.

(You know, that's really none of your business Bob,) Wu lightly growled.

She seemed oblivious to Mr. London chiding, critical tone. She tilted her head back up and lifted her snout before coolly replying, (Yes.)

Mr. London turned his cream-colored beak away. (Why am I not surprised?)

(Gentlemen,) Muldoon said firmly.

Zane began to fidget in place. Somewhere in the hilly ground ahead, on one of the gentle slopes or behind one of the sharp reddish rises and flattop mesas, the future and destiny lurked. And waited. Here, at this spot, they were going to play around with things today that none of them really understood, that were so much bigger than they were. Just like the people at Jurassic Park…

He shot Wu a quick glance. The head geneticist turned Iguanodon looked composed and confident enough. Zane, for one, was terrified though.

(Maybe this isn't such a good idea,) he whined.

(Hell, like any bloody part of it ever was!) Muldoon agreed. (But we've got to do it Zane.)

(Rob's right. You can't back out,) Patience said firmly. (We're all here for a reason. It's gonna take all of us if we're gonna get back.)

(Which I know I'm really game to try to do,) Nedry added. (Don't know about you, but I'd personally like to have opposable thumbs and wear clothing again, not have to always look over my shoulder for slavering predators…)

Will strolled up to the astrodon. (Listen buddy. Dennis, Mr. L. and me, we're the ones who are going into the thick of it. You'll be out here with Patience, G.K., Henry, Muldoon, and even Runt for company and protection. Everything'll be-)

(Fine!) Zane growled, suddenly angry.

Will was taken aback. He threw out his wings. (What's going on Zane? I have no idea what this is all about.)

(Eh, he's probably just stressed,) Nedry figured.

(Obviously,) Zane said.

(I thought we were friends.)

(What's with you two?) Wu said in confusion. (This is not the time to start fighting, please.)

Zane looked away. (That doesn't excuse everything.)

(Christ, can you two kids have a petty argument later?) Muldoon told them sharply.

Mr. London motioned to Will. (Come on. We don't know exactly how long we've got, and we've got a lot to do.)

(We'll talk about this back home, okay?) Will promised.

 _Sure we will, Will_ , Zane thought. He knew about Will's empty promises. Good intentions and all that. _Little jerk_.

Nedry thoughtfully held up the amber key he'd found in his right hand, looking at it. (We still don't know exactly what this is for, what we're supposed to do with it.)

Zane nodded. (It could be for all sorts of things. Amber has electrical properties-the Romans and the Greeks figured that out. And it has been used to promote healing, because it's got succinic acid in it.)

(In fact, people have been using amber for centuries to treat asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, aching joints in general, pneumonia, insect stings or bites, etc. And dinosaurs got medical issues too.)

Will, Wu, Patience, and Mr. London all gaped at Zane.

(Very impressive,) Wu said in admiration. (You could fit right in with my researchers at the park with knowledge like that.)

Zane would've flushed with sheer pride if he could've at such a compliment. From a brilliant geneticist, no less. Funny, he thought, when he was actively using his brain, the fear vanished.

(I remember the things I read or see on TV,) Zane said simply. (Like it or lump it,) he challenged.

(Hey, I'm cool,) Will protested.

Mr. London shook himself. (Me too. Definitely.)

(Hey, you can only be who you are in the end,) Nedry supplied. He then looked at the key again, drawing a sharp breath. (Something tells me I should take this trinket with. I don't know why. Just a feeling.)

Zane had no issue with that. Neither did anybody else.

(See you all later then,) Mr. London said.

(Good luck, guys,) Will added.

Nedry nodded. (If this is the last time I get to see you four, just wanna tell you it's been nice knowing ya guys. And Henry, Rob, see you back at the park.)

(You as well Dennis,) Zane replied. (You've been a great traveling companion.)

(Yeah, you've really grown on us,) Patience agreed.

He seemed to smile up at them before the trio turned away and walked off, the bag of eggshells on Will's back, secured by a root strap around the base of his neck. Zane watched as Harriet and the other four Hypsilophodons scurried after them. It was actually kind of sweet, how faithful and devoted she was to him. Both the programmer and the teacher kept trying to shoo them off, telling the other dinosaurs to stay behind where it was safe, but they always came right back, sticking like glue.

And suddenly, Patience called out to Will. He stopped, turned, and stood erect, waiting as she cantered over to him. Zane's astro eyes could see pretty well-but he also had excellent hearing in this body too. So he cocked his head, attentively eavesdropping as Wu joined him and did the same.

(Hey, listen,) he heard her tell Will, (this is about what happened in the lunchroom. Me, y'know, getting pissed and punching your lights out.)

(Wow, is she a real spitfire,) Wu mumbled.

(Do I vividly remember,) Will said dryly.

(Yeah, well,) she said a bit guiltily. (About that, that wasn't right…)

Zane couldn't believe what he was seeing. Patience McCray was actually about to make an apology, admit that she was in the wrong. To the best of his knowledge, she'd never apologized for anything or accepted that she'd acted inappropriately in her entire life!

Zane glanced in wonder over at Wu and G.K. (Exactly what did you two do to her when you guys were together, anyway?)

(We changed her for the better, that's all,) Wu affectionately replied. (Spoke to her better nature and made her feel wanted. And she changed us too,) he warmly added, glancing at the male acrocanth.

The Green Knight simply twitched his huge back muscles to shoo away a few annoying tick birds or pterosaurs, and yawned imperiously, looking away.

Zane shook his head, turning his focus back to Will and Patience.

 _She must not realize I can hear her_ , he mused.

He briefly considered saying something, but his gut instinct told him that if he interrupted this conversation, Patience would never get around to saying what she intended to say. And he just sensed that she needed to have this quick talk. So he kept silent and aloof. So did everyone else, just patiently waiting.

(Here's what you've gotta know,) Patience told Will. (Last year, that kid Marcus. The one who got hurt pole-vaulting during track. The mat was poorly placed. He utterly destroyed his right hip and is now in a wheelchair.)

(Jesus,) Muldoon said softly as he winced.

(Yeah, I know all about that,) Will said. He seemed confused, his feathered head cocked. (I helped out in a couple fund-raisers-)

(I know. Mark and I, we were very good friends, like you and Zane. The first person I ever truly trusted after my so-called friend Paula got a hold of a lighter somehow in the orphanage, set off a fire while we were screwing around with it, and then blamed me. Or since Helen got leukemia after adopting me and was powerless to do anything when her relatives gave custody of me to that place, sent me there and wouldn't let me see her or talk to her ever again-even just one more time.)

(That's why I ran away from there, to try to find her and see her. I'm sure you probably have heard these stories about me. Or parts of them.)

Will kept focused on her eyes, tail flicking. He waited.

(Mark wanted me so much to come see him in the hospital. But I didn't go. His parents then begged me to come visit him in rehab. I said that I would, but I didn't. They moved away his dad found another job and his parents sued the school about his injury, and Mark called and e-mailed me all the time, but I could never say more than a few words before hanging up, never called him back, never wrote him, never reached out or did anything. I knew I was being cruel and stupid, but I just felt sorry for myself, you know? I clammed up, was stuck somehow. Frozen.)

She hung her great head. (I felt like he'd just vanished on me-and like it was my fault again somehow.)

Then she looked hard at G.K., then Henry, and then turned her gaze back to Will. (But sometimes things are nobody's fault. And not everybody goes away. Or at least, they don't want to. I mean, I know that now. I learned it here. So I guess it wasn't all so bad, coming here. I just wanted you to know that.)

A snuffling sort of sound was coming from Wu.

(Henry, are you crying?) Muldoon asked tenderly.

(No,) Wu immediately denied. (I've just got some dust in my nose.)

But Zane knew better.

(All right,) Will replied softly, nodding his head. (I mean…thanks.)

Zane had to force himself to shut his gaping mouth and pretend he hadn't heard any of that. Patience gently nuzzled Will's muzzle, then came trotting back to them.

It hadn't been an apology. Not exactly. But it was something. A gesture of friendship. An acknowledgement that she'd done something unkind. And a major step for her. As she affectionately greeted G.K. and Wu with a feline rub of her head, Zane was impressed, though he did his best not to show it.

(Still scared?) she gently asked Zane.

(You'd better believe I am.)

(Then do me a favor,) she requested. (Tell me about the baboon one more time. I'm not sure I get it.)

Zane, like everyone else in their group, didn't take his gaze off Will and his comrades. It was not impossible that the mountain could explode when they were inside it.

But the plan they'd worked out and agreed on was their only chance of getting home, come what may.

He wished now that he hadn't been so harsh to Will.

(Uh, Zane?) Patience asked. (Hello?)

(One baboon, locked in a box,) he said mechanically as he regarded the gray mountain looming before them. (Two dishes of food, one laced with poison, and a bit of a radioactive element for company.)

(Oh, the Schrodinger's Cat scenario,) Wu said in understanding, nodding.

(She's a cat person.) Muldoon whispered to his colleague.

(Until the box is opened, the poor baboon's got a fifty-fifty chance in our minds. You can cling to hope.)

(Once it is opened, you just have to deal with what you're left with. Welcome to introductory quantum physics. That'll be five dollars, please.)

(Five dollars?) Wu said in mock surprise. (You drive a steep price Zane,) he joked. (Lucy from the Peanuts comics does it for only five cents.)

Patience gently touched his left flank. Wu lightly pressed his own body against Zane's right.

(We've just opened the box, haven't we?) she said.

Wu nodded gravely. (And now we're running through that garden of forking paths blindfolded. Blindfolded,) he repeated, shaking his head, and Zane got the sense it wasn't just the mission the geneticist was talking about, with the half-castigating way the word was spoken.

Zane looked at both of them, then nodded.

(Oh yeah. If we decided not to do this, if we said, let's just stay here and play everything safe, accept our lot and walk the straight and narrow, not worry about anyone's future but our own, we'd always be in these bodies, and wondering. We'd live our own lives in an indefinite state. Would it have worked? What would've happened?)

He then considered how much more frightening that would be than actually facing and meddling with the future.

Muldoon nodded as well. (And I don't know about the rest of you,) he said pointedly, (but on top of those matters…well, I've never been the type to just lay down and give up when things go bad, to accept the unacceptable. From the minute we all heard your classmate Bertram speak to us across time, and tell us there was a way back to our bodies and all we knew, I seized on it like a drowning man would clutch a life preserver. That's kept me going all this time, and I'm not backing out now.)

Patience nodded. (Same here. But we're sure taking a leap in the dark here.)

(Sometimes that's the only thing in life you can really do,) Muldoon replied. (It's scary, but also exhilarating. Taking gambles can be a real thrill, and have some wonderful payoffs.)

(But you should also hedge your bets too,) Wu added.

(Quite true,) Muldoon agreed. (You don't want to be a bloody fool about it.) Then he raised his head and looked at Zane, then at Patience.

(Yes,) he said warmly. (I'll be very pleased indeed to return to my more familiar world of dinosaurs. But oh, will I miss you chaps, all four of you-even bloody Bob London. And all three of you children have grown so much during the time we've spent together!)

(I'm happy to hear that,) Patience replied, clearly touched. (Thank you, Rob.)

(We really have, haven't we?) Zane beamed as he nodded. (Glad you've noticed.)

(How could I not?) Muldoon replied. (And I hope you'll all keep at it when you get back.)

(Something tells me that they will,) Wu said.

(Oh, you bet,) Patience said.

(Just in case though,) Muldoon commented as he glanced at both of them again, (I'm not all that good with flowery language, so, bearing in mind that our impending separation could happen at any time, I'll have a certain favorite childhood author of mine help me take leave and express my sentiments after coming to know you on this odd journey-and I want you to remember it in particular, Zane.)

(All right. Shoot.)

Swallowing, the Sauropelta began. ("If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together,") he told them congenially, ("there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart…I'll always be with you.")

(And I will too.) Wu told them thickly. Although his Iguanodon face had a beak and no lips, he still seemed to give them a warm smile anyway.


	37. Chapter 37

**Will.**

As Will and the others walked and hopped over the rocks, small mammals the size of pocket gophers but built like chipmunks with pale red fur and the same sort of racing stripes, regularly gave shrill whistles before ducking into gaps between the stones on seeing him.

Nedry, clutching the amber key, kept by his side, but Will noticed the way Mr. London kept his distance as they walked to the river which led to the mountain's warren of passages.

At first, Will thought it was because the other hypsys, just like Harriet, were scared of him. He could understand that, though he didn't like it much. Then he kept going over what Mr. London had harshly told him last night.

(So, what's the matter?) Will finally asked. (Do you really think this is all my fault? That it all comes down to the M.I.N.D. Machine trying to give me what it thought or felt I wanted?)

Mr. London didn't even look his way as Nedry hissed in contempt at the teacher.

That was as much of an answer as Will needed.

(Do you think the other dinosaurs will attack me when we go in?) Nedry asked him uneasily.

(I don't think so,) Will replied. (You're rather smaller than I am, and they don't have any eggs or young babies that you'd possibly be a threat to. Still, no harm in being respectful and careful.)

They reached the shore of the river in silence, the water sparkling in the light and flowing around his bird feet. He'd already told both of them about the swim they would be facing.

(This sure isn't what I wanted,) Will said gravely as he cocked his sleek feathered head at Mr. London and stood at the edge of the torrent. (Not even close.)

(Ditto,) Nedry chimed in.

Then he aimed his body forward and dove in, hearing Nedry sharply tell Harriet, (Stay here, you hear me? Don't fol-)

The water was icy, despite the bright, warm sunlight pouring down from above. Will kept his eyes open as he swam, a milky, clear membrane which acted like another eyelid sliding across his eyeball and acting like swim goggles. He kicked, swimming against the current, and soon the solid wall of the mountainside was right in front of him.

Exhaling as much air as he safely could, Will dove below, paddling clumsily with his wings as the water soon became murky, the bag of eggshells adding unwelcome drag.

By the time he reached the pure darkness that meant he was now inside and beneath the great mountain, Will's lungs felt raspy and hot, as if they might explode. He glanced back and saw Mr. London, the other hypsys, and Nedry swimming behind him.

One of the other hypsys seemed weak, as if he wasn't going to make it. Nedry swam up behind the cock and shoved him forward.

Then Will saw a pale greenish light above, and let himself rise to the surface, continuing to kick forward as he did so. He burst from the water, sucking air into his oxygen-starved body, gasping wildly and flicking his feathered head-and nearly got clobbered by the swiping hand of a Tenontosaurus bull!

(Hold on!) Will frantically shrieked. (Just give me the chance to-)

Then Nedry and the five Hypsilophodons broke through the surface behind him, snorting and coughing.

(Dude, that was insane!) Nedry commented. (No more swimming stunts like that for me.)

Will saw that seven big Tenontosaurs, one of the Sauropelta, and several of the Zephyrosaurus were gathered on the bank before him, water dripping from their beaks, hairy feathers on end. They all looked away from him, distracted by the sight of Mr. London, Nedry, and the others. Just to be on the safe side, the Zephyrs gave a collective slurred bark and ran.

(Rrraaagggghhhh!) Mr. London hollered, splashing around and waving his little arms. (Fear the wrath of Capitan Blackbeard!)

( _Unga-bunga_!) Nedry assisted. The Sauropelta cow, her calf, and the Tenontosaurs stared at the two in surprise and backed off slightly as the hypsy and troodontid climbed out, Nedry randomly proclaiming, (I am the lion, king of _the jjuuunnng-g-g-g-g-l-l-l-leee_!) He then began to wrestle in play with Mr. London.

Will wisely took advantage of the helpful distraction. Bag of eggshells still slung on his back, he swam fifty feet beyond the gathering of Tenontosaurs and hooked his hand claws into the rock, scrambling up onto the bank.

No one was blocking the tunnel mouths. Will raced toward the entrance he knew best to the maze, pausing to look back and give a thin, squealing series of chitters to make sure Nedry and London noticed where he was off to.

(Don't worry, we got ya,) Nedry assured him, and Mr. London flicked his head up in acknowledgement as he and the troodontid continued to play and shout nonsense, keeping the other dinos occupied. Will chirped, raced into the tunnel, and soon found himself climbing up and away from the main cavern. He couldn't see a thing, but he could still smell his tracks, and also had the route memorized.

He took off the bag of eggshells, set it down, and dried himself off, first by shaking, then rolling around on the floor of the tunnel, using his hands to squeeze out more water. As he waited for the others, he preened his plumage in a seated position. Then he got to work.

Carefully going back and forth from the tunnel to the main cavern, he first found more flint. Then, with utmost care not to disturb the touchy, drained from starvation other herbivores in the cavern, he cut sections of thick root with his hand claws, wrapping thinner roots around the tops and daubing them in pitch to make three torches, one for each of them. He then, after at least ten failed attempts, got a spark at last, using his tail fan of feathers to bring it to life, and then used it to light the other pair. That would be their cue. And as planned, Mr. London, Nedry, and the other soaking wet hypsys appeared, eyes glowing in the firelight, shaking themselves.

(Wipe your feet,) Will said dryly. (You kids will track mud everywhere.)

Nedry and Mr. London dried and quickly preened themselves. (I can't believe I'm using my mouth to clean myself,) Nedry muttered. (Yuck.) Will then handed each of them a torch.

There was no need for further discussion. The tension between Will and his science teacher hadn't eased.

Nor had the danger they were sharing.

He then looked about the walls of the tunnel about them, breathing deeply, before turning to Nedry.

(Dennis,) he asked the Woody Woodpecker looking troodontid, voice serious and level, (are you positive you know what you are doing? Are you sure you have the skill to do this safely-because we all know what could happen if we get things wrong.)

Nedry nodded. (Believe me, just the thought of messing around with this sort of stuff, not to mention making it, scares me to death Will. But I've got a good memory, and between Bob's expertise and mine, I think we'll be okay and get it prepared correctly. Safely.)

Bob nodded as well. (I remember the correct percentages of ingredients like my phone number.)

(Then let's do this thing,) Will exhaled, screwing up his courage.

They set to work. First order of business was to take out the _other_ two crucial things Will had brought with him in the mesh bag of roots.

The first of the three ingredients had been easy to obtain, and Will and London each pulled out a section of blackened, scaly, now wet wood from last night's campfire. Charcoal.

Although the hills and mountain itself were made of limestone and other sedimentary rocks, Will had still seen some features here and there which indicated that there had been some localized volcanic activity in the distant past in this area. And after climbing out of the river the first time into the sunlight, while searching for any sign of the others, he'd stumbled across a place where the giant far below them still breathed.

Several plumes of gas and steam rose into the air in a flat, seven or eight acre clearing, hissing and billowing. Around the vents were lumpy, pus-yellow crusts of a certain mineral element. It had been no difficulty for Henry Wu to hold his breath, quickly trot up to one of the fumaroles, and use his thumb spike like a pick axe to chop and pry loose a few chunks, using his opposable little fingers to carry back a few hunks of the second needed ingredient to the group. Mr. London now took them out of the crude bag. Sulfur.

The third ingredient, the one they needed in the most abundance, was thankfully already inside the mountain-including on the walls of the tunnel all seven of them were in. Crystals of saltpeter.

They were going to make gunpowder. Lots of it.

Will and Nedry scraped loose crystals of saltpeter from the walls with their claws into one of the shell bowls, scratching and gouging over and over until their fingers were sore.

Leo and the other four hypsys were clicking and bleating in near-hysteria during all this time, shooting wild glances about and sometimes randomly bolting up or down the tunnel before returning. Now and again, one of them would literally hit the wall.

Will knew that as high-strung creatures of open spaces, they hated being in the confined environment of the caverns, being so near a raptor, and the presence of the burning torches which made their eyes glow orange in their light. But as herding animals, they were also reluctant to turn their backs on their band's leader, however quirky he might be.

And with his five-fingered hands, it fell to Mr. London to do the delicate work of making the gunpowder, the torches being held or placed close enough so that the teacher could see what he was doing, but very much far enough away so as not to set the results off. Like London and Nedry, Will was acutely aware that if anything went wrong during the process, they could quite literally get their heads blown off.

Mr. London's jutting hypsy brows further emphasized his intense concentration as he first used a rock and a depression in the floor of the tunnel, as a sort of mortar and pestle to grind each of the three ingredients one by one, Will using his tail fan of feathers to sweep and clean both of them between uses.

(All right,) Mr. L. muttered. (We want about 75 percent saltpeter, 13 percent charcoal, and 12 percent sulfur.)

While Will had been concerned that their dip in the river would cause problems, Nedry and Mr. L. had both assured him that it was actually good for the ingredients in gunpowder to be moist, since it was safest to handle that way. And indeed, Nedry at one point left the tunnel for the cavern with a half eggshell, returning with water, which he added to London's mixture until the gunpowder was the texture of thick clay. Then Mr. London formed and patted it all into a large ball.

The gunpowder was then spread out on the floor of the tunnel to dry, with all three of them stepping far back from it with their torches.

While they waited for the black powder to dry, Will put the shells back in the bag, put the strap around his neck, and then used both his nose and memory to lead Nedry and his teacher to a small asphalt seep. There they carefully put twelve of the broken shells together, putting tar on the edges to glue them together. The bottom half of each one was filled with several ounces of thick crude oil.

Then they returned to the tunnel, where Will held all three torches as he nervously watched Nedry and Mr. London very carefully separate the now dry gunpowder into equal portions, using flat pieces of stone to fill the bottom half of each shell, then placing both halves together, holding them until the sticky tar congealed.

Crude bombs, that's what they'd made. Patience's idea, mostly. When she'd returned with the male ridge-backed acro, she'd said simply, (We're all morons. Everything we need to free those dinosaurs is already here for the taking.)

She had then gone on to describe the plan that had suddenly come to her, and it was a very smart plan, everyone had to admit.

Then Wu had had a brainstorm of his own, and suggested a huge improvement to her plan.

(What you'll need to have any real possibility of clearing the rock blocking the mouth of the cave,) he'd said, (is a sort of explosive, something that'll create much more of a shockwave when ignited than just oil alone. And one of the three main ingredients for a very simple explosive is already being created here, in this fire,) Wu had added, gesturing at the branches burning down to charcoal in the stone-lined pit.

(Henry Wu, you are a genius!) Mr. London had cried as the realization washed over him too. (Gunpowder! That's what we need to make and use!)

The only thing that hadn't been entirely clear was why the return of her strange suitor, The Green Knight, had prompted it.

But that was a mystery for another time. Both their true times. If they could just get back to them.

Will could still almost palpably _feel_ the presence of the Deinonychus pack his body was part of on the other side of the mountain. He was very much aware that if the raptors discovered that there was more, exposed prey so very close, they would come running like the hounds of hell. There would be no arguing with them. No reasoning. They were feral, hungry-so hungry-and getting desperate.

Nedry had been chased and nearly caught by a pair of raptors the day before. And Wu had _already_ nearly been killed by a different Deinonychus pack yesterday afternoon, he knew. And Big Guy's was at least equal in size to that one.

A part of him still longed to be with them.

Once the bombs, or boomers, as Zane had referred to them, were ready to go, Will helped Nedry and Mr. London place them back into the woven bag of roots. Thankfully, the knots held, despite the extra weight, Mr. London taking over the role of pack horse this time.

Nedry took both torches and took the lead, Mr. London staying a good distance away from the deadly fire.

(Guess it's time to get this over with,) he sighed. (Come on Bob, let's go.)

Will was also very careful about his own torch as Mr. London then said (Good luck, William my boy,) not looking at him.

(Yep, here's hoping for the best,) Nedry nodded.

(You too guys,) Will said.

He watched Nedry lead Mr. London and the other hypsys away, the light from both torches quickly fading. He was quite aware of what he needed to do now: nothing. Just wait here.

But there was something that hadn't been accounted for in Patience's plans.

No-some _body_.

Will grabbed his own torch, and deliberately sniffed the air. Then he turned and trotted off, in search of Hook.


	38. Chapter 38

**First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers! Hope you've had a great day enjoyed food, family, and maybe some football too!**

 **And now, enjoy this short but thrilling chapter where London and Nedry nearly end up going out with a bang...**

* * *

 **Bob**

Robert London and Dennis Nedry both knew what they had to do as the programmer, clutching a torch in each three-fingered hand, led their group back down into the main cave.

(Ugh, clawing all that saltpeter from the cave walls really did a number on my fingers,) Nedry groused. (These claws are going to be pretty blunt and aching for quite a while after that.)

(Well, it was for a good cause.)

Nedry nodded. (Do you think we've made enough to good and truly blow out a nice big hole for these guys?)

(I'm optimistic.)

(At least someone is.)

When they stepped back out into the main cave, both men went silent. Although neither of them posed any threat to the menagerie of huge herbivores, they still needed to be treated with respect, and they stayed low-key as they made their way through the throng to the barrier of tumbled, broken rock under which the river flowed.

The torches Nedry held caused many of the dinosaurs to look up and even draw closer in fascination, eyes ignited by the firelight as they shone like jewels, some giving hesitant, mild calls of alarm. But they didn't get physical or otherwise interfere as they both climbed the loose pile of rocks and got to work.

Nedry stuck both torches firmly into the rocks a good distance apart from each other so they both could see as they worked. In his mouth, the troodontid held the amber key.

Zane had been right-there were many potential uses for the key.

Bob sighed, and softly clacked his beak. Why hadn't any of that occurred to him? He was a science teacher. A scientist. Yet he was thinking and acting like a thirteen year old.

And Lord knew that he sure _felt_ like a thirteen year old.

As they climbed along and jumped up the outcrops around the cave's blocked mouth, carefully planting the bombs as they went, Nedry occasionally going and carefully shifting one of the torches for better visibility, Bob guiltily wondered why he'd been acting so mean to Zane, and particularly to Will. That wasn't like him at all.

He thought of the little story he had told the other Hypsilophodons: _There once was a boy who had found a golden key…_

Bob looked at the amber key Nedry gently held in his teeth.

He drew in a sharp breath and found Al curiously staring at him.

(It doesn't mean anything,) Bob whispered, Nedry shooting him a puzzled, backward glance, but saying nothing. (I just thought of the story because we found the key. It's hardly as if Bertram's M.I.N.D. Machine put that key here because I used to so enjoy that story.)

Al cocked his tortoise head, as if weighing those thoughts.

Suddenly angered, Bob rattled his beak and grabbed a boomer from the pile.

(What do you know, you dumb animal,) he snapped, kicking out at the other cock. He looked over the outcrop, casting a shadow in the torchlight. (Carl, I can't see a thing. Throw me that thing!)

(Wait Bob!) Nedry said from down below. (I'll be there in just a minute to move the torch.)

But Bob was impatient. Carl didn't get it at first. Bob pointed firmly at the torch, made throwing motions, and Carl obeyed.

Only-the hypsy cock missed.

The torch landed a dozen feet away from Bob, near one of the strategically placed boomers. With a hiss, it struck the rolled fuse of dry dung that had been set into it.

(Oh, shi-) Nedry began in horror, even as he jumped away.

(Oh no…) Bob whispered helplessly.

The force of the explosion knocked Bob, Nedry, and the other hypsys head over heels. A brilliant light flared yellow and white as a terrible thunder sounded and a rain of stones fell on the other dinos, who bellowed and clicked and chirped and mooed in shock and terror, running around at random.

Bob then found himself on the ground, aching, sore, and panicked. What if Zane and the others heard that explosion and thought that was the signal they were waiting for?

( ** _You goddamn idiot_**!) Nedry shrieked in fury from eight feet away. (Your stupid little buddy just nearly got us all killed, blown to hell! Why didn't you just _wait ten seconds for me to join you_ instead of trying to get a furry lizard to do a man's jo-)

Then his furious rant was interrupted by grinding teeth and a chorus of _gwaas_ and beak clacks and grunts. Glancing up, he saw that a group of Tenontosaurs, feathers erect, and two of the Iguanodon bulls were crossly staring down at him.

(Everyone keep still and stay calm,) he urged nervously.

Four of the Tenontosaurus roared. So did the Iggy bulls, the sound deafening in the confined space as Nedry cowered. One of the Iggies swung his huge hand at Bob, who gave a sharp bleat and jumped over it.

(Let's get out of here!) Nedry shouted, already turning to run. But they were surrounded!

And suddenly, it came to Bob.

(Dennis, throw me the key!) he shouted desperately, even as he dodged another attempt by the Iggy bull to impale the hypsy with a thumb spike.

(You don't need the key, you need to make a run for it!)

(Just toss it to me!) Bob pleaded as he avoided the snapping beak of the second bull. (Now!)

(Incoming!) Nedry replied, tossing the precious object in his direction with a forward flick of the head.

In slow motion, Bob saw the key tumbling through the air. He leapt, reaching out with his hands. And to his relief, he caught it.

But his momentum sent him crashing onto the stone, still holding the key-but now right under the descending beak of a Tenontosaurus bull. There was no time to dodge or get away, even to right himself before the tendon lizard's beak would be chopping into his flesh. All he could do was wait for the pain.

And then…

He felt a strange warmth on his back, and saw the expression of anger in the Tenontosaurus, the Iguanodon bulls, change, their rectangular pupils dilating. The fury faded, They all seemed transfixed.

Bob carefully got to his feet and looked about. A single shaft of light was shining down from the hole that had been blown by the bomb. It struck the amber key, and beautiful prism-like shards of multicolored kaleidoscopic light shot forth in every direction.

(Wow. Gorgeous,) Nedry breathed in wonder.

Slowly, the aggressive dinosaurs backed away. Bob made sure to keep the amber key in the light. Other dinosaurs were coming now. In moments, every single dinosaur in the cavern, even the shy, ever suspicious Zephyrosaurs, gathered around to witness the spectacle.

Bob looked around again, more slowly now, and saw that not only Nedry, but all four of his new friends, Carl, Leo, Al, and Hal were also watching in astonishment, shaking their bodies.

They were all okay!

Bob stared at the excitement and awe clearly visible on the faces of the free dinosaurs all around him and felt triumphant and bold. He was the conquering hero, the cool guy, the-

 _Leader of the pack._

Like Will.

(Whew,) Nedry said shakily. (God, was that a close shave. You might want to put that trinket down and finish what we've started Bob,) he advised. (And don't use the other hypsys for hired help this time, please.)

Bob stared thoughtfully at the shining amber key. Then he nodded and placed it between two rocks, keeping it within the shaft of light.

Then the two men quietly went back to their work, placing the rest of the bombs while the other dinosaurs remained occupied by the dazzling piece of amber.

How long the starving herbivores had been trapped in what would otherwise have become their tomb was impossible to know. But one thing was readily obvious. They'd produced no small amount of dung while confined inside the mountain. And in a beautiful irony, some of that dung was going to be their salvation.

With great care, after all the bombs had been placed, Bob and Dennis, setting their disgust aside, formed the drier dino pies into long tubes with their hands, mixing it with globs of pitch to both keep them from breaking apart and to act as an accelerant. They then strung these long ropes of dino manure and pitch from one boomer to the next, making certain that there were no breaks or gaps. These long, crude fuses were going to help them blow this entire string of Christmas lights when they were ready.

The pair were so focused on their task, they didn't hear the snuffling and scratching which had ominously begun around the hole Bob had accidentally blown to the outside of the mountain…or the eager little barks and birdlike squeaks which then followed…


	39. Chapter 39

**Patience.**

(It's already been an hour,) Zane said nervously as his huge body swayed in place. (Do you think they're okay?)

(There's no indication that they _aren't_ ,) Muldoon replied to reassure him. (I'm sure they're fine. They just have a lot to work to do before the big moment.)

Wu nodded from his seated position. (And remember, they're both making and handling gunpowder. That's a procedure where you can't be too hasty. You want to be very cautious, obviously.)

Zane sighed, hanging his head as Harriet looked up at him, cocking hers. (I know. But I'm still nervous for all of them, especially Will. I wish there were cell phones back in this time…)

(Well there aren't,) Patience replied. (So we just have to wait. The last thing we want is to go up to the mountainside right when they happen to light the bombs off.)

(Wile E. Coyote would get off easy in comparison to us,) Zane agreed grimly.

Wu nodded. (Want me to tell you another funny story about Captain Gingersnap?) he offered, referring to the daschund his family had owned when he was a boy.

(Yes please,) Zane agreed. Although Wu had told him a story about the dog at least once every ten minutes-and Muldoon had told a few more about his experiences in Africa-Patience didn't mind or complain. It was keeping him distracted and happy, from worrying himself sick about the others.

Wu was starting in on how his family had been watching the Wizard of Oz on TV, and whenever Toto would bark on screen, Captain Gingersnap had gone wild, lunging and barking his head off, when the air was torn apart by a great burst that sent a pillar of dust and broken stone into the air.

BOOM!

As one, they all leapt to attention, Harriet giving a drawn-out yelp, and G.K. looking around in confusion as he uttered a deep, rumbling growl, getting to his feet.

But Patience knew what was going on. One of the handmade bombs had gone off. But only one.

A couple tense minutes went by. No more bomb explosions. Nothing.

But the tension stayed with them.

(Will?) Zane said querulously. (Oh God, something's bad happened!)

(We don't know that,) Wu replied, even as his tail nervously waved in curves. (Maybe they just decided to test one first, see if they'd actually work.)

Patience uncertainly nodded, even as her quills slowly rose. (Or maybe one of the fuses they said they'd be making from the dino poop broke or fizzled out.) But silently, a little part of her was starting to fear the worst.

(Let's hope they were well away from it if or when it blew, assuming it was an accident and not a test run,) Muldoon said levelly. (Chances are they're fine though. Give them ninety more minutes. Then I'd say we have reason to be concerned.)

And then, as Zane lowered his head to tear at a clump of conifers with Runt, Wu suddenly tensed and stood tall on his hind feet, smelling the air as he looked around, thumb spikes at the ready.

(Is something wrong, Henry?) Muldoon asked, the Sauropelta looking up at him.

(I'm not sure,) he said uncertainly. (I'm smelling raptors nearby-)

(Oh God,) Zane said, immediately looking up and around, purple-brown eyes wide. (Where are they?)

(-But not many at all, so less than five are probably on this side of the mountain.)

Patience sniffed too. (Yeah, I smell them as well. And thankfully, like Henry said, there aren't very many.)

(But where are they?) Zane said uneasily.

(And what are the bloody things doing right now?) Muldoon added as he also intently sniffed.

Then she both smelt and saw them.

(Look,) Patience whispered to Zane.

A lone female Deinonychus was climbing the mountain, using her claws like crampons. With her were three third-grown chicks. Juveniles.

Zane lowered his high-crested head and shuddered. (She probably got tired of waiting around in the buffet line and broke away from the pack to find food for both herself and her starving chicks on her own.)

Muldoon nodded. (That's what I figured. Good mothering skills on her part, a bad development for us.)

Patience watched the mother raptor use the clawed hands on her wings, one at a time, to dig at the edges of the small hole in the loose, cracked rock created by the explosion inside the mountain, occasionally sticking her feathered muzzle inside and inhaling deeply, her crocodile pupils dilating with excitement and predatory eagerness. Her chicks made modest contributions. It wouldn't be long before it would be big enough for one of them to squeeze inside.

(What do we do now?) Zane asked, looking to Wu and Muldoon for guidance. He sounded terrified again. (She won't be going back to get the others, at least not until her chicks have had a good meal first.)

(I could lead them off,) Wu volunteered. (Worth a try, at least.)

(Don't even think about doing that!) Patience gasped.

Muldoon shook his long, beaked head. (It wouldn't work,) he said simply. (No adult raptor with any sense in their heads would even dream of _going_ after a dinosaur your size on their own, Henry-least of all an attentive mother who's well aware that she's really the only chance her chicks have out here for survi-)

(Well,) Wu replied thoughtfully, (maybe if I opened up some of these wounds from yesterday, and showed up looking exhausted, faking a broken hind leg…that would certainly catch her interest, and probably even be tempting enough to get her and the chicks to follow me around until the bombs are lit.)

(And how do you know that she might not decide to run off at the sight of you and get the rest of her pals to help?) Zane inquired.

That gave Wu pause. Then he sighed. (I hate it when reality ruins a good plan,) he muttered.

(Don't we all!) Muldoon snorted.

Patience saw Zane's point. A distraction of prey, real or conjured, wasn't a safe move this time.

Right now, the Deinonychus and her chicks were contained at one spot. There was every possibility that Mr. London, Will, and Nedry would be able to blow an opening in the side of the mountain big enough to allow the plant-eaters to escape before they could get in.

But she was also very concerned by the question of why one of the bombs had gone off sooner than it was supposed to. Perhaps it had been deliberate, done as a test, or to loosen up an especially nasty conglomeration of broken rocks. But maybe…

Was Mr. London okay? What about Will and Dennis?

(If that mother raptor gets in,) Zane asked Muldoon, (how many of those dinosaurs do you think she'll kill?)

(Very likely just one,) the game ranger assured him. (A young Tenontosaurus or one of the Zephyrs, most likely. Something she can kill quickly, haul away without too much trouble, but will still provide enough meat for both her and then her chicks. She won't risk their safety by trying to spree kill, if that's what you're concerned about.)

Then Patience saw it flood out of the hole. Streaks of multicolored light bursting from the tiny opening.

Startled, the mother raptor jerked her head away from the hole with a grunt of surprise. Like her chicks, she sat back on her pelvis in an upright position that was different from the tilted-forward one of her acrocanth body. The raptor family all cocked their heads and took curious snaps at the light, then settled down, entranced and content to watch it shimmer.

(Everything's okay,) Patience told them softly. (And everyone. Don't ask me how I know that. I just do.)

(I trust you,) Zane said.

She heard Runt pacing and lightly kicking stones behind them. Something told her he was getting bored, and wanted to either get moving again or just have something to do. From Zane's wide pupils, swinging tail, and other signs that revealed his agitation despite his attempts to deny it, she suspected he did too.

(Play with Runt a bit. And all you guys, keep him out of trouble,) she commanded.

(We'll do that,) Muldoon nodded.

(Yeah!) Zane said. He seemed relieved. She watched as he got into one last game of "I'm not touching you" with his baby astrodon brother, and Wu provided even more fun by using his psychic abilities to make an adorable mock panda appear for Runt to interact with.

Then she turned her attention to G.K.

(I guess we'd better go find a quieter place and talk,) she said simply.

The ridgeback grunted, then softly chuffed.

As she turned and began to walk off, Wu noticed, raising his head and causing the panda illusion-much to Runt's confusion and disappointment-to disappear. (Patience, where are you going?) he asked.

(To explain a few things to G.K.,) she told him softly. (Don't worry, I won't go far or take very long.)

(Explaining things to a bloody carnivorous dinosaur,) Muldoon muttered. (God, have some of us formed some unorthodoxly sentimental relationships back here.)

(Ok,) Wu said to her, nodding before turning his attention back to Runt.

As the two acros strolled away, Patience looked back over her shoulder at Wu. She could smell his horsey scent, and the odor of the scabbed-over wounds in his hide made a sudden hunger gently rise within her. She cocked her head at G.K. and noticed that he was actually drooling.

(Yeah, I know,) Patience agreed. (It's really hard not to go with your instincts.)

G.K. chuffed, and rubbed his flank against hers, so much like one of her cats back home. She leaned back in response.

(I know why you followed me,) she said softly. (I know why you're here.)

She could feel his warmth, smell the musk of his chin glands, the quills that stippled his hide, his huge heart pounding.

(You've chosen me as your mate, for one thing. But I think you also know I'm trying to go back, go away, and it doesn't make any sense to you. I've got family here. _Real_ family. I've got _him_ too. And I've got you.)

He chuffed again and nuzzled her, rubbing her tail with his. She drew a deep breath, and hard as it was, gently but firmly pushed him away.

(I'm very sorry,) she remorsefully told him as she turned and faced him, meeting his gaze. (I can't stay here. This _can't_ be my life.)

She then looked away. A dozen reasons why she had to go back came to her-

Bertram's warning, for one. The future might be changed dramatically and forever if they didn't prevent the events that might happen here today.

And she missed her world, her life, her body, her cats, as strange as that might sound.

But there was only one reason that really rang true.

(You see…it doesn't belong to me.)

G.K. looked at her for a while. Then he hung his heavy head, and gave a slurred groan.

* * *

 **Nedry.**

Dennis Nedry's muscles felt as tense as telephone wires as he walked up to one of the two loose fuses that would set off the entire series of bombs, draped loosely over the rock, the dinosaurs shuffling and parting before his torch as Bob did the same.

They shot each other a glance as each began to lower their torch.

(You ready Dennis?) Bob asked.

(Whenever you are.)

(Okay,) Bob said, sucking in breath. (One. Two. Three!)

And on the count of three, Nedry tossed his torch so that the burning portion landed right on the end of the fuse. So did Mr. London. Then they both wheeled, and raced for the back of the cavern.

As they did so, both men used their psychic abilities the machine had granted them to make terrifying illusions materialize out from the soon-to-be blown apart barrier of stone.

Werewolves, snarling and loping on all fours. The van-sized ants from the movie Them!, chittering and biting the air. Giant bats with jutting fangs.

The trapped dinosaurs went crazy of course, turning as one and stampeding after Bob, the other hypsys, and Nedry, their cries of alarm and footfalls utterly deafening as they raced to the back of the cave in blind panic.

Nedry followed Bob into one of the upward sloping tunnels, turning off the thriller movie as he did so. Still, some of the young Tenontosaurs and Zephyrosaurus were so terrified that they actually followed their lead, racing around and after the pair.

(Okay, here it comes!) Nedry said as he dropped to the floor and placed his wings over his head for protection, praying to Jesus the ceiling wasn't going to collapse and crush them as Mr. London also got down and cowered next to him.

KA-BOOOMMM! KA-BOOOOMMM! KA-BOOOMMMM!

Each explosion rang through the mountain like a gong, seemed to blow the entire world apart, felt like being in a dumpster that was being kicked around by a herd of elephants as gravel rained down on them and Nedry heard the other dinosaurs bellow and cluck and bleat in helpless terror.

And then, the explosions stopped.

Very carefully, barely believing he was still alive, Nedry stood up, blinking dust away with his weird nictitating membranes and shaking his feather coat.

(Yay, I'm still alive,) he muttered. (Was that all the bombs Bob? I don't want any surprises.)

(I counted eleven explosions in all,) Bob replied, shaking the dust out of his plumage as well, (so I'm pretty sure they've all gone off.)

(Well, then let's go back down and see the results. I really hope we cleared at least just enough of the rock away for these big lizards to escape single file through.)

As they reentered the cavern, both Nedry and Bob shut their eyes tight and began sneezing. No wonder, for now the place was filled with suspended dust.

But now it was also filled with something else, an even more wonderful sight. Sunlight! The huge mixed herd of plant-eaters was now free to go.

For a few moments, Nedry and Bob just stared at the reopened cave mouth, the light pouring back in, then at each other, mouths open in their body's version of grins.

(Ha-ha!) Nedry whooped in ecstatic delight. (We did it! We blew that wall wide open! Now let's make like John Wayne and drive these overgrown lizards out of here!)

(By all means,) Bob agreed. And together, they ran at and among the cowering dinosaurs, loudly projecting the sounds of cougars screaming, raptors hissing, tigers roaring, and other scary noises that spooked the entire gaggle of herbivorous dinos into stampeding for a second time-but this time racing for the golden sunlight and the rocky, conifer-strewn hilly country which awaited them outside.

* * *

 **Patience.**

As they walked together, G.K., looking so defeated, stopped and turned to face the mountain. He looked at the raptor family in the distance, still totally unaware of their oddball herd close by.

And then, a whole bunch of things suddenly happened. As Patience kept walking, G.K. rejoined her. Then he suddenly came to a halt after they'd walked twenty-five yards, quills rising as he gave a deep growl, looking at Patience as he did so.

(What?!) she said as she continued to walk. (I'm sorry we-I-have to do this, okay? Please, at least let's part on good terms.)

Although the Green Knight didn't move a step forward, he then opened his mouth and gave a powerful roar at her! The raptor family heard it of course, and the mother leapt to her feet with a shrill yell, briefly holding her wings out in a threat display before fleeing with her chicks.

(No!) Patience yelled. They'd go back to the pack. They might even-

Moments after the raptors cleared the side of the mountain, the first of a series of thunderous explosions sounded, as if someone was pounding at the rock from inside it with Thor's hammer. Rock exploded outward in great cones, heavy clouds of dust and debris masking the scene as more bombs went off, making the ground shudder even at this distance.

Awed by the spectacle, Patience moved in place to see better…and then the rock underneath her feet dropped out from underneath her six-ton body.

As G.K. roared again, the limestone rock crumbled, then cracked, and gave way, gravity yanking Patience into a suddenly roofless chasm. Terror knifed through her as she fell through the air, eyes briefly locked on Henry as she automatically screamed one word.

( ** _Dad!_ )**

* * *

 **Wu.**

For a single, heart-stopping moment in time, the world seemed to go entirely still, to stop as Henry Wu watched in horror with the others as Patience roared and fell out of sight, her last desperate plea, addressed right at him, ringing in his head.

 _Dad_ , he thought in wonder and horror together. _She called me Dad._

Galvanized then into action, he ran for the sinkhole with a fierce determination even as he heard Patience hit bottom with an awful thud.

(Hang on Patience!) he roared, praying for the best.

* * *

 **Patience.**

Groaning, Patience found herself lying on broken limestone at the bottom of a bowl-shaped sinkhole, eighty feet down.

Seconds later, G.K. was at the edge, moaning and giving oddly high-pitched yelps of concern and fear. Then the rest of the group was looking down at her too.

(My God Patience, are you okay?) Wu cried.

(Christ was that a nasty fall!) Muldoon said. (Do you think anything's broken, Patience? God, I sure hope not,) he added, shaking his head.

Taking stock of her condition, Patience shook her head, even as she gasped for air.

(I got the wind knocked out of me, and my whole left side feels sore, but I don't feel like anything's broken. I'd really like if somebody could get this damn slab of rock off my tail so I can stand up when I feel like getting out of here in a few.)

(Thank God,) Wu shuddered.

(Should I try to make a ramp to make it easier for you to climb out?) Zane asked, lowering his head to peer down inside better.

She shook her head weakly. (I can climb out on my own. But can someone get this rock that's crushing my tail off of it because I can't reach it, it's pinning me in place, and it just plain _hurts_?!)

(Say no more,) Wu replied as he immediately began to walk down the unstable side of the sinkhole on all fours, picking every step with great care.

When he reached the bottom, the Iguanodon bull used his opposable little fingers like thumbs to help lift the living-room sized slab of limestone off of her acrocanth body's tail, allowing her to slip free and stand up.

(Do you think you can climb up that without help?) he softly asked her.

She nodded, breathing heavily.

He walked carefully behind her and at her side, gently nudging her up and supporting her massive body whenever she slipped on the loose rock. In no time, she was stepping out of the chasm, shaking herself as she gave a deep, shuddering sigh of relief.

Zane, Muldoon and Henry all gathered around Patience, expressing their relief as well and giving her heartfelt nuzzles. But it was the Green Knight she first looked to.

She realized then that somehow, he'd sensed that she'd been walking on dangerous ground, above a hidden sinkhole etched in the limestone below, and tried to warn her. But, in her preoccupation and ignorance, she'd kept going, and the combination of her own weight and the shocks from the explosions had been too much for the thin crust.

His warnings had also inadvertently saved the lives of the mother raptor and her chicks, which would've been blown apart by the bombs if he hadn't cut loose.

(Great,) she said half-accusingly, her voice choked with emotion as she met his gaze, and then those of the Iguanodon. (You had to go and make me love you, didn't you? Both of you!)

The acrocanth made no reply.

(Patience…) Wu began, taken aback and confused.

But Zane cut him off as the astrodon then said, (Look!)

And Patience did. As the powdered rock and dust began to disperse, noises drew close to the re-opened entrance. And then forms began to emerge.

Three Iguanodon bulls, each the size of a female African elephant, led the break for freedom, hunched forward as stone clacked and crunched underneath their footstool-sized, three-toed feet, legs pounding like pile drivers.

Rapidly pouring out to catch up with and outpace them were the green and yellow and black Zephyrs, running and leaping over the rocks with the poise and grace of deer, half-grown chicks at the heels of their mothers. Among them ran four Hypsilophodon cocks.

It reminded Patience of the scene in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure where he saved the animals from a burning pet store, and all the dogs, rats, baby ducks, etc. came stampeding out the door.

And indeed, Zane then commented, (No pushing, no shoving. Everyone move in an orderly fashion towards the front exit.)

And then came dozens of more dinosaurs, covered in green-blue feathers and with unusually long, banded tails. The trapped Tenontosaurs!

Then, from the other side of the vast mountain, in the distance no more than a couple miles away, a volley of shrieks and hoarse caws sounded. From the raptor pack, coming even now to investigate the disturbance.

Despite her shaken state, Patience was immediately all business once more.

Turning, she snapped, (Zane, Henry! You two get front and center! This is you guy's show now!)


	40. Chapter 40

**And here we are at last, at the climax of this story, where the true mystery of the great gray mountain, of Ground Zero, is revealed at last. Here too, the geologic forces at Ground Zero finally surge into life.**

 **But will everyone make it out with theirs?**

* * *

 **Will.**

Will was deep inside the mountain when the explosions hit. Even at this distance, bits of rock fell from above, and the walls and floor quivered as the peak rang like a bell.

(Hook!) Will cried out. (Where are you?)

No answer from the wounded raptor. Will hadn't expected Hook to travel far from the main cavern. Yet, even tracking with his incredible sense of smell, he couldn't find his friend.

Wait, his _friend_?

Whoa. Hold up. Hook was a lot of things to him. A dangerous rival. The reason he'd been trapped in the mountain in the first place. A crafty, scary predator who had to be watched at all times and made to learn exactly who was boss.

But-a friend?

Then again, Will wasn't really sure what kind of judge he was of true friends anyway, anymore. Back at Wetherford, he thought Lance was his best friend, and now he had an uneasy idea that their bond was no longer as dependable as it had been.

He could smell Hook very near now. His odor was everywhere. But where was he?

A scaly palm and the tips of three claws slapped him on the base of his tail. Will spun with a short caw, so startled that he nearly dropped his torch. Hook jumped back and stood before him, silent and seeming a little smug as his mouth hung slightly open in mirth, like a dog's.

Will almost laughed in relief. (You little devil. How'd you learn to sneak up on me like that?)

Hook simply yawned and stared, the fire shining in his intense eyes. Will smelt on him, to both his expectation and dismay, that Hook had unfortunately been busy while he'd been outside with the others, returning back into the great cavern and then killing and devouring a Zephyr chick for dinner.

A voice then came from another tunnel. (That's exactly it, Will. How did he _learn_?)

Mr. London emerged from the tunnel. He was alone.

Before Will could ask what he was doing here, the hypsy explained, (Leo and the others ran off with the other dinosaurs. When you didn't show, we figured out what you were doing. Nedry left to rejoin the others, while I came this way and tracked you by scent.)

Will lightly snarled as he remembered his own teacher's coldness and caustic attitude toward him. _I didn't know you cared…_ , he internally sneered.

(I felt Al and Leo and the others were learning,) Mr. London went on. (And in little ways, maybe they were. But not the way you or I would. Or _him_.)

Will suddenly felt very nervous about having his back turned to Hook. He took a sharp step away from the raptor, looking back-

And saw that Hook was gone.

(Everything I said to you was wrong and uncalled for,) Mr. London said guiltily, body sagging, head drooping. (I'm sorry for being such a jackass, Will. I really am. Wu was right, you didn't deserve that sort of talk, especially from one of your own teachers and role models. This wasn't about you. The machine called to you and Patience and Zane and Dennis and Henry and Rob because of things you all needed-Wu was right on the money about that with his guess last night-but it was what _I_ wanted that started it all! It was my damn fault.)

(That's big of you and everything,) Will said quickly. (But Hook. He's gone. We've gotta find him and get him out of here.)

Mr. London nodded. But he kept speaking as they walked and searched. (I know. But Will, you have to understand. It's crucial. All this was ultimately about _me_ and what I wanted. I secretly wanted to be like you. A hero. The popular guy. And I wanted to do all those years when I had to grow up too fast, was so awkward and friendless, over again.)

(The M.I.N.D. machine gave me that, and I learned from it. We all did, every one. That's what Ground Zero is all about. Learning. Evolving. Becoming more, like Simba in The Lion King.)

But Will was only half-listening as he looked and sniffed around for Hook. Where had he gone? (Can we really tal-)

Mr. London raised a hand to cut Will off. (And now I've _really_ cracked the mystery. I had to see Hook with my own eyes to know for sure, and now that I have, I'm convinced.)

(About what?)

(First of all, Hook's tail is shorter than normal for a Deinonychus, shorter than both your bodies' and those of fossil specimens I've seen pictures of. Not by much…but it's still obvious.)

(And what does thi-)

(But more importantly, have you seen his hands?) the hypsy asked. (Like yours, his arms and hands hang loosely in a sort of lightning bolt, compressed Z-shape, with palms facing toward each other. But he also holds them up a little more tightly, tucked several inches closer to his chest.)

(While Archaeopteryx is generally acknowledged to be the first recognizable bird in the fossil record, a combination of new fossils and molecular evidence have shown that there were actually _two_ distinct lineages of birds which evolved during the Mesozoic, with the biggest anatomical difference being that the "older" group had shoulder joints that were arranged the reverse of what we see in living birds. One managed to survive the asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous. The older line didn't.)

(Point, Mr. L?)

(That Hook is the "great-grandfather" of all the birds we know in our time. Hook is an evolutionary link, the creature with the genetic potential that Wu spoke of last night. While it was a nice thing to do on our part, Ground Zero actually had nothing to do with saving the Tenontosaurs or the other raptors. It's about _Hook_. We have to get him out of here before this place goes up, otherwise a link in the chain will be broken. After that, the future as we know it won't happen. We'll come back to a planet without birds.)

The awful idea briefly stopped Will in his tracks as he gasped. The thought was both heartbreaking and horrible.

A world where no cardinals, jays, or finches flitted about feeders. Where no eagles and hawks soared and perched in trees. Where no chickens pecked in farmyards or crowed to greet the dawn. Where no owls hooted or floated away like ghosts under the moonlight. Where no hummingbirds zipped between and hovered like jewels come to life before flowers, where no flocks of blackbirds danced in shifting flocks over marshes, where no ducks paddled and waddled, no trumpeter swans floated with stately grace. Where no great colonies of penguins raised their chicks, where no rainbow-plumed parrots or exotic birds of paradise brightened the planet's rainforests. And there was no telling in what other spheres their absence would affect the world and civilization they'd be coming back to.

He was snapped back to the here and now by feet hitting the stone, the sound coming from the darkness behind Mr. London.

(Hook!) Will said quickly. (He's comi-)

The little Hypsilophodon was already in motion, darting down another tunnel as he gave a sharp, clicking call of alarm. Hook ran after him, the muscles in his thighs working as the remains of the splint on his leg broke and fell away.

Hook wasn't crippled any longer! His leg had either been just lightly sprained or sore!

He'd _learned_ to fake it…

(Good work with the system you've got here with the markings, Will!) Mr. London called approvingly, even as he ran for his life from Hook, both disappearing into the darkness.

He flicked his tail at the symbols Will had clawed into the stone. (Let's just hope he can't read it!)

Will shook off his surprise and launched himself after the predator and his intended prey. Images of all he'd taught Hook raced through his mind. The trick that had gotten him past his dad, Big Guy, the first time on the mountain. The way to patch up a busted leg. And also-

(Bob!) Will screamed in shock, terror, and disbelief, remembering Hook making at least one set of markings in the wall himself. (I think he _can_ read 'em!)

Then they were out of sight.

Will heard the crackle and roar of his torch's flames as he tried to follow the tracks they'd left. He felt its heat through his coat of feathers and smelt the burning leaves.

 _I tracked you by scent_ , Mr. London had said. He hadn't been carrying a torch. Will had the only torch now.

Yet he'd mentioned the markings. Did he honestly think Hook was smart enough to know what he'd meant by just the words? That he had come to comprehend some measure of language?

Maybe not, but London had _pointed_ at the letters. Like a dog, Hook could now be going by _them_ instead of using his natural senses.

And this could put him in danger.

Will raced down two more tunnels and neither saw nor heard any signs of Hook or the hypsy. He stopped and looked at the unnatural torch. One more piece of advice from his dad, good old Briefcase Man, came to him:

 _Sometimes, you just have to go for it._

Will tossed the torch into a narrow, yawning chasm several yards off to his right. The ground was still quivering. The crude bombs had set something in motion when they'd gone off, and now the great disaster Zane had foreseen was coming. Flakes and bits of stone were falling from the ceiling.

Will drew a deep breath and focused on the same thing Hook was after: prey.

He locked on to the scent. It overwhelmed him. As he raced through the tunnels, effortlessly making his way through total darkness, he felt

HUNGRY-HUNGRY-HUNGRY

His Deinonychus instincts, his desires, overtook him-they were all that mattered to him. Some part of his brain was registering and mulling over danger. A smell from the chasm where he had ditched his torch was gnawing at his awareness, but he ignored that fact.

He just wanted to hunt. To jump and kill. To devour.

To beat his rival to game.

For so long, William Reilly had cared so deeply about what others thought. He'd based his every action on becoming the center of attention and making sure he'd stay there.

Not any more.

He was consumed by something so pure, so electric, so thrilling, that he truly didn't know if he could ever go back to being what he had been. He'd never felt so alive before now!

A sudden new scent just ahead made him growl, then dive and roll, hissing in rage. A sharp wind whipped over his head as a heavy, living object passed over him.

Will bounded to his feet and flung out his wings, hissing as he heard the creature lunge for him again. His sickle claw flicked out-

He kicked blindly and sliced the hard root in half. Then he kicked again, the sole of his foot leading, knocking his attacker to the floor.

He didn't need a torch to know what it was: the Microvenator cock's scent was plain. The root had been a discarded torch from before.

The long-armed theropod hopped back up to his feet and gave a cawing shriek of rage. He raced forward and Will leaned back as he kicked him again, sickle claw piercing flesh as Will dropped him to the ground.

Tremors wracked the tunnel, and a heavy chunk of rock fell from the ceiling. Will leapt out of the way like a gymnast, totally aware of his surroundings, his instincts in complete control.

The male Microvenator dodged too, and was only grazed by the falling stone.

Will sniffed the air. The prey was near!

He raced away from the yowling, defensive Microvenator and soon found himself traveling steadily downward once more. The oviraptorid followed, but he was too slow to keep up. Will lost him easily.

The walls convulsed and more debris fell. This time, a chunk struck Will on the shoulder.

Too much of the roof was falling in for him to avoid it all!

Then Will saw a dim glow ahead. The floor gave out beneath him, and he tumbled, shrieking like a banshee, until he rolled out into the cavern where the Tenontosaurs and friends had been minutes before.

A brilliant half-moon patch of light burst from a huge gap that Dennis and Mr. London had blown in the far wall.

Then he saw it. The prey! The game was just ahead in the middle of the floor, staring at him, waiting, there for the killing, it was-

MEAT-MEAT-MEAT

(Will, snap the hell out of it!) Robert London yelled desperately.

It was his science teacher!

Will skidded to a stop and forced himself to regain control. He now realized that he'd taken a route he hadn't explored before, one that led him to the tunnel closer to the outside than the one he'd usually taken to reach this place.

Hook now flew from that one.

Will ran to the entrance and looked outside. He heard things, saw things, smelt things that were totally impossible.

Yellow taxicabs speeding after Tenontosaurs and the Zephyrs, forcing them to flee in one direction, while jet cars out of some science fiction movie bore down on Big Guy, Silver, Maia, Binky and the other Deinonychus, sending the panicked pack racing off in the opposite direction.

From over a ridge, taloned feet scrabbling across the rocks, came a red and gold Chinese dragon sixty feet long with bulging frog eyes and whip-like whiskers, opening its tusked jaws to roar and spout fire at the raptors, using its long body and flailing tail to block any pack members who veered off course. Meanwhile, a trio of weird, short-statured humanoid beings that had wrinkly, blue-gray skin and looked like crosses between special needs fourth graders and wrinkled crones with large eyes and white hair came pounding over another ridge, helping to spur the herbivores on. Will recognized them right away as the three ESP kids from the messed up 1988 Japanese animated film Akira. He and Lance had once watched a VHS tape of it that belonged to Brandon, Lance's older brother one night…and never forgotten its images. A kid's movie it wasn't!

It was Zane! And Wu! They were cutting loose, using their imagination and wild power to separate predator and prey and to give the starving, exhausted Tenontosaurs, Zephyrosaurs, Iggy bulls and Sauropelta a chance to escape!

And indeed, he heard in his head Muldoon "say" to his colleague, (I get the impression you're hugely enjoying yourself right now, Henry.)

(Oh, immensely. Look at the raptors run, ha ha!)

Will then caught a glimpse of Hook charging at Mr. London.

(Run!) Will shouted.

Mr. London tried, but the rocks that now covered the floor made it difficult to get up speed in time. So Will rushed to his aid, intending to intercept Hook-and then, from far below, something huge within the mountain exploded.

Great slabs of rock fell from above, a huge chunk falling squarely on Will's delicate body, throwing him down and pinning him to the floor as he gave a piercing, glassy scream of agony, feeling his bones snap.

He watched, panting, as Hook raced at, caught up with Mr. London, blade teeth bared.

(Hook, leave him! Help me!) Will found the strength to cry.

The Deinonychus stopped only inches from his prey. His jaws were open, yellow blades of backward-curved teeth exposed, wings reaching out with trident hands eager to snatch. Then the copper eyes flicked to Will, and then to Mr. London, then back to Will.

Mr. London hesitated in indecision, but only for a moment. In the shafts of sunlight, the Hypsilophodon gestured at the plumage of the raptor standing broadside in front of him. And Will saw the huge patches of honey-colored feathers.

(Amber,) murmured Mr. London as he bolted for the entrance. (Yet another amber key!)

Letting the hypsy cock go, torn between competing instincts, Hook turned and cautiously walked back to Will, who was now giving slurred yelps of pain.

Hook crouched and tried to pry or shove the heavy stone from Will's back, but he couldn't budge it. Will felt light-headed, in a scarlet halo of agony. It was hard to think straight now.

And he hurt so horribly bad.

Yet another amber key…yet another amber key…

Mr. London's last words echoed inside Will's pounding head. He knew what Mr. London meant. Hook was the evolutionary link, the newest development, the ancestor of the birds. Hook had to be spared, made to get out of here, or time and the world would be forever changed. That was the most important thing now.

Suddenly, a female Microvenator came jumping out of a tunnel in the limestone. She saw Hook, froze in fear, and backpedaled. Another tremor sealed the tunnel behind her, trapping her.

Will saw rocks falling from every direction now. There was no hope for him to get out of this mess.

(Get the hell out of here!) Will weakly yelled at Hook.

The raptor leapt to his feet, then hesitated.

(Leave me! Save yourself!) Will yelled. Only-this time his glassy scream combined with a roar that echoed with incredible force through the collapsing cavern.

Will turned his head just enough, and saw an acrocanth boldly entering the demolition zone, quills sticking up at full mast.

Fury welled up inside him.

(Patience, you freaking mor-) he began.

But then he realized it wasn't Patience. The ridgeback charged right at Will-and Hook gave a token snarling hiss before actually giving Will a brief nuzzle and turning away, running for the crumbling lip of the cave, splashing through the water that had kept the mixed herd of plant-eaters alive for so many days. At the entrance, the former rival hesitated again, looking back forlornly at Will with the expression he might a brother he couldn't save. Then he was off like a shot.

G.K. reached down with his grappling hook hands for the chunk of stone that had fallen on Will, and then a deafening roar, louder than any acrocanth hatched could ever match, made him freeze.

The light completely vanished as the cavern collapsed.

Stone, in amounts measured in tens of tons, fell on and around Will and the Green Knight, burying and crushing them.

Then-for a time-Will knew only pain and darkness.

And then, a sound that made no sense whatsoever came to him in this darkness. The crackle of lightning. Tendrils of energy passed around and through his raptor body.

Even though there was nowhere to go, Will then felt his awareness rising, passing upward, out of this body and through the stone walls of the slumped mountain. Looking down, he saw a swirling, blue-white vortex of energy.

At the base of the mountain he saw a lone Tenontosaurus cow emerge from a rift in the stone created by the explosion, a male Zephyrosaurus hobbling out after her.

Tink and Balin! They were okay!

But Balin's freedom was short-lived.

In a sudden, cruel irony, a lone female Deinonychus, the one Will had dubbed Cinderella, burst out of a copse of conifers with her three chicks. As Tink pushed her exhausted body into a wild run, Balin gave a rolling click of fear and tried to get away.

But with his smashed foot, there was no hope. Cinderella easily chased the Zephyr down and leapt on his back, hurling him to the stone as her toes gripped his body, the sickle claws piercing feathered skin and flesh while he bleated and squealed and kicked under her weight. Her chicks arrived then, and joined in the meal as like their mother, their feathered muzzles became pasted with blood as they all began eating Balin. Eating him alive.

Nearby, he saw a strange collection of dinosaurs seeming to stand beside a vast rectangular machine. Patience, Mr. London, Zane, Nedry, Muldoon, Wu, Harriet, and Runt. The blue lightning came for all save Runt and Harriet, and then, Will wasn't alone in the whirlwind.

There were cries. Human cries. Dozens of them.

Below, Will saw all the dinosaurs shake their heads, as if released from a spell.

He saw the Iguanodon bull instantly stand up and bellow at the Acrocanthosaurus in threat, displaying his thumb spikes as he made a bluff charge, then backed away warily, tail waving as he lowered his head, groaning and grinding his teeth as the Hypsilophodon darted away as quickly as he could from the scene.

The astrodon flicked his tail like a whip and also charged the acrocanth, who quickly backpedaled with a growling hiss until some distance had been placed between them, Runt sticking like glue to his now released big brother the whole time.

The Sauropelta immediately crouched down on the stony ground, presenting a shield of spikes and bony armor to the nearby ridgeback as he raised and waved his tail. But when she began to wander off, he carefully stood up and walked away in unconcern, following the odor of the pair of Sauropelta cows who'd been released from the mountain.

Both troodontids also bolted-but only for a hundred yards or so, turning to hopefully face the Acrocanthosaurus as she eyed the astros warily from a prudent distance, the male enthusiastically grooming Harriet as if he hadn't seen her in days, and she doing likewise. And in a way, he hadn't.

Then, as Will saw the Iggy bull turn and head downslope, turtle-beaked head hung low and bobbing gently as he followed the same path as the trio of freed bulls, in the blink of an eye…

He was back.

He was blinking rapidly, no milky membranes sliding over his eyes. A shocking array of familiar, comforting smells came to him. Meatloaf. Steamed broccoli. Milk. Bread. Sweat. Fish. Mashed potatoes.

He felt not feathers on his body, but clothes. Sitting up quickly on a now tailless butt, Will felt his hairy scalp and then placed his hands in front of his face, grinning at them with corn-kernel teeth. His naked, flesh-covered, clawless, human hands.

Yes! He was back and alive!

Looking around the lunchroom as he stood, Will quickly spotted both Patience and Zane. He ignored and shoved through both the students and staff who had been gathered around or tending to him and the others, running to Patience.

"Patience! Hey!" Will yelled.

He shoved through the knot of people to get to her, shouting, "Excuse me, coming through folks!" He saw that she was slowly coming out of it as they let him through.

She sat up, and he kneeled to gently put his hand on her cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She met his gaze sadly, tears forming in her brown eyes. "He must've sensed my concern about you, that you were important to me," she choked. "G.K.-I tried to stop him, make him stay back where he was safe, but…" She gave a choking sob, eyes clenching. "And Henry! _Henry_ ," she repeated, and she said his name with such a profound sense of loss and loneliness, something so wretched and wrenching, that it made Will's heart twist in his chest. "I never even told him goodbye Will…"

Patience looked down and away, tears oozing from the corners of her eyes. Then she leapt up and bolted from the lunchroom, choking in sorrow, her hands covering her face.

Will felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He said "What?" as he turned to see Zane.

"Are you okay dude?" Zane asked, brown cow eyes filled with concern.

For a few seconds, it struck Will as odd, Zane asking if he was all right. But he simply nodded.

"Thanks buddy," Will said warmly. "Truly. Thank you mucho. You and Henry designed a damn good plan. We did it!"

"Making miracles happen," Zane grinned. "And sometimes we pull 'em off too!"

"You sure did!"

"Okay, what in the hell are you talking about?" Colby, another guy, asked in confusion.

"And who's this Henry guy?" a girl, Margaret, added, equally baffled.

But Will ignored them as Zane beamed and offered his hand.

Will took it and squeezed it hard.

"Ow! Hey!" Zane cried as he jerked it away, flinching a little. "I don't want to have to see the school nurse for real, now."

The pair walked together through the school, drinking everything in as they encountered one group after another of students who had also been struck by the lightning from the M.I.N.D. Machine…and had somehow also made it back.

"I don't get it," Will said in confused wonder. "Where _were_ they all this time? How did they _all_ get back?"

Zane shook his head and shrugged, brown curls flopping. "Your guess is as good as mine."

As they walked, Will repeatedly felt a strange urge to walk in a tilted-forward position, not vertically, and major confusion about all these new sights and sounds, a shock to be in such a small body so suddenly.

He decided it was just lingering aftereffects from sharing the Deinonychus body with its forceful instincts and mind for so long. Hopefully.

At the end of one hall, Will saw Lance. His good friend.

He and Monique were chatting with Leiman.

Lance looked over his shoulder at Will, paused, his eyes briefly widening. Then he frowned dismissively, shook his head, and went back to conversing with the self-proclaimed head of the elite.

Will's eyes narrowed as he mouthed a swear word in disgust. For some odd reason, he softly _growled_ at Lance, and throttled a bizarre, exotic urge to actually **_bite_** him.

Percy was there, too, blue eyes uncomfortably exchanging glances between Lance and Will, not knowing what to do, seemingly looking for a lead to follow.

Will didn't have the time or desire to help him right now.

He turned and walked off with Zane. He thought that he had to choose between his "pack" and a place among the elite-the next logical step in any popular guy's progress.

But there was also a third choice.

He nudged Zane and put his hand on his back, saying respectfully, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I _really_ feel like some alone time for a while."

Zane nodded and grinned. "Hey, you know the _funniest_ thing? So do I…"

* * *

 **Patience.**

When Patience unlocked the door of the Mushnick's house after her incredible day and journey through time and space, happy in a way she'd never expected to be to be back at the door of the ramshackle two-story gold house and stepped over the threshold, she was both physically and emotionally exhausted.

Stan and Judy's two dogs barked from their kennel, and one of her cats, Woody, came up to her and rubbed his gray body against her legs in affection.

But she ignored them all as she let her backpack fall to the linoleum with a muffled thud and walked into the living room to crash on the couch for a few minutes.

As she did, a book on the old wooden coffee table caught her eye. It was a paperback book, its cover white with a black, rearing T. rex skeleton in profile on it.

A sudden lump rose in Patience's throat, and red tears of loss and grief seeped back into her eyes as she read the title. Jurassic Park.

She leapt to her feet, and with an anguished, tearful scream, snatched the book and threw it across the room, as hard as she could.

Then Patience collapsed to the floor on her knees, breaking down.

A word was sobbed out from between her human lips.

"Henry. Dad."

* * *

 **Hang on there folks! Just because our weird herd is disbanded and back in both their real bodies and worlds which make sense again doesn't mean this fic is over! Far from it, in fact.**

 **In the actual book, Mr. London tells Will that Hook is favored by Big Guy because he's rather big for his age, and so still has some growing to do. He then tells Will that fossils of giant raptors have been found that were quite a bit bigger than Deinonychus. When I read that, I first thought of the polar bear or horse-sized Utahraptor, an eighteen to twenty-three foot long predator that ironically, was first discovered and described while the movie Jurassic Park was being produced and filmed.**

 **A big problem with that though, is that Utahraptor lived before Deinonychus, with Utahraptor fossils found in strata 126 million years old, while all Deinonychus fossils are dated from 115 to 108 million year old deposits. So Utahraptors couldn't be Hook's potential descendants. I then thought of another genus, called Achillobator (Achilles hero), a sixteen to twenty foot long raptor from Mongolia that lived 90 million years ago. (Interestingly, the only known specimen was excavated in 1989, the same year as the events in the novel Jurassic Park take place, and actually described in 1999, the same year the second pair of Dinoverse books were written. It is also very likely-long story, folks-the type of raptor that caused so much mayhem in the novel, since the amber they were cloned from is mentioned as being from China. The staff just called them Velociraptors because they knew no differently!)**

 **But the idea that Hook's genes would somehow be important in the evolution of another species of giant raptor in Mongolia seemed rather dubious to me, even when you take into account the huge distances big predators can spread their genes in just a few generations. And besides, how would the absence of some species of giant raptor really affect us humans, here in the Holocene?**

 **And then the idea for what you've read here came to me. :)**


	41. Chapter 41

**Will**

William Reilly sat back on the mocha brown couch and contentedly closed his eyes, eyes which no longer looked over a jutting, feathered snout with a sort of proto-beak at the end whenever he opened them. And he rotated his featherless arms upward and back, linking the digits of his five-fingered hands together behind a hair-covered head. If felt so grand to be alive and back where he belonged, in the body where he belonged. He had two movies from Blockbuster (including The Island Of Dr. Moreau), a bowl of fresh buttered popcorn, and his remote control.

Life didn't get any better than this. He'd never take these simple pleasures of civilization for granted ever again.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Will opened his eyes and frowned. His parents were off seeing a movie with Garrett, his little brother-Disney's _Dinosaur_ , hilariously enough!-and were then going to visit Will's uncle Mark for a while after that. Who would be coming around his place tonight?

A part of him wanted to sniff the air for danger, feeling so weak and powerless in this tiny new body.

Will dismissed it, and also considered ignoring whoever it was, but the knock came again, more insistent this time. With a sigh and then low snarl of irritation, he stood and crossed the living room. By the time he'd gone into the entryway and was reaching for the doorknob, the knocking had transformed into a pounding.

"All right, chill out!" Will hollered. He unlocked the door and opened it.

The girl before him was a knockout. She wore a sapphire blue dress with elbow length sleeves and shoulder straps. Her brown hair was curled high, framing her tanned face, makeup accenting her brown eyes, cheeks, and carmine lips. The dress flowed over her long, lithe form, and her black high heels were DKNY originals.

It wasn't until she spoke that it registered with Will who it was.

"So, am I fashionably late or fashionably early?" Patience asked. She then began playfully singing. "I'll wear lipstick and rouge-and I won't be so huge…"

Will strangled his automatic urge to gape. The Patience _he_ knew didn't dress like this. She didn't sing, either. But here she was.

He did, on the other hand, feel seriously underdressed. His torn jeans, New York Knicks T-shirt, and bare feet didn't feel anywhere appropriate for standing in the presence of such beauty.

"Um, early," Will managed to say. "Quite fashionably."

"Sweet."

With the grace of a leopardess, she brushed past him, heels clicking as she looked around. "Not much of a party. Music? Munchies?"

Will blushed and shook his head as he led her to the living room.

"Other people?"

"Not really. I frankly wasn't expecting-"

"Oh, they'll be here."

Will watched Patience head for the entertainment center and pop in a Smash Mouth CD before pressing Play, the tunes filling the room.

 _Whoa. What is going on here?_

"I'd get to work on the munchies if I were you, all-star," Patience pointedly suggested. "The others will show up soon."

Will just gawked at Patience as she elegantly glided across the room. She didn't even _move_ like her old self. The day before, she'd walked in a tromping, heavy-footed fashion, like a draft horse. Now she walked like a tigress. She seemed so calm. So at peace.

Finally shaking himself back to reality, Will nodded. "I'm going to call that Jade Lotus place then, have them deliver some Chinese fo-"

Suddenly realizing his insensitive mistake, he cringed then, meeting her eyes.

Patience just lightly shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Don't sweat it Will. And besides, we both know he'd want me to keep on being happy, not brooding and breaking down over every little thing that remotely reminds me of him."

Will nodded. "Anything you want me to order for you in particular?"

"Pork fried rice is always good. And I love peapods. As for the main dish, all I care about is that it's spicy and contains plenty of meat. Nice to be eating it cooked again," she sighed.

"True that," Will agreed, nodding. He went to the kitchen, rang up the Chinese place and gave them a list of dishes and the address, then hung up and quickly got started on making a carafe's worth of blackberry Kool-Aid, filling bowls with Doritos, and other munchie preparations. He was a veteran at it.

He began to hear sounds from the front door. Voices rising through the music. By the time he returned, a dozen people had shown up.

"Kool-Aid! Awesome!" some brown-haired guy Will only knew in passing announced. Across the room, Patience was ushering Bertram Phillips and Candayce Chambers inside as they nodded to her.

It took three trips to bring out sufficient snacks to place on the coffee table. During that time, the doorbell rang, and Will answered it. It was a guy from Jade Lotus, and Will handed over the cash for the white cartons of food.

By the time the food and snacks were ready to go, the party's attendees had doubled in number, furniture had been moved back, and couples were dancing.

He found Patience and moved her aside as an N'Snyc song played. "Okay, what gives? This kind of took me off guard."

"Well, you were putting up flyers for a party at your place tonight," she reminded him.

 _Yeah_ , he thought, _but that was a lifetime ago…_

"But…how could…after everything that happened…," Will said. He thought about the school closing, the state agencies coming in, the students rushed to hospitals in a panic, the press…

"After all the craziness that we've been through, I'd say a party is _exactly_ what's needed for our student body," Patience said calmly.

Will smiled. "Yeah. I think you're right on the mark."

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Patience said excitedly.

Will followed her to the hall. He was half-expecting to see Monique appear, already picturing the girl's shocked look. Patience had to be doing this to get back at her. Yet something about that explanation just didn't feel right anymore to Will…

The door opened to reveal a thin, wiry, red-haired boy in an orange polo shirt, sitting in a wheelchair with a crutch across his lap. A beautiful young woman, college age, stood behind him.

Patience did a double take. "Hey there, Beanpole," she greeted him, her voice choked with emotion. She looked as if she was struggling not to cry.

Marcus's blue eyes went wide at the sight of her. "Hey, beautiful! Long time no see!"

Will helped Patience and Janet, Marcus's sister, get his wheelchair inside as he excitedly babbled. He saw the confident way Patience was looking at Mark. Now he understood. She had dressed like this for Mark, and for the past she was no longer running away from.

In the middle of the living room, Marcus held up a hand, telling his sister, "Stop right there." Then he gave Patience a knowing, immensely pleased smile as he told her simply, "Look what I can do."

He took his crutch off his lap, and pressed the butt end into the carpet. Then he shifted the handle into his armpit, bracing himself. He shifted his weight, leaning out of the wheelchair as he shakily pushed up with the muscles of his thighs…

And Marcus stood! He stood! Everyone immediately started whooping and clapping, cheering for the teen.

Will didn't think he had ever seen anything quite so brave. From either of them.

"Oh my God," Patience said in delighted astonishment. "You can stand again Marcus! You can stand!"

Mark nodded and gave an angelic smile. "And walk now too. I'm growing stronger by the week."

"We're so proud of him," his sister told Patience. "We can see the day ahead when he won't need these metal aids anymore."

Marcus grinned.

"I don't know how long we'll be able to stay," Janet said. "The drive from Billings was three hours and really wore him out. But we booked a room at the Black Buffalo Motel, and we won't be heading back until Sunday afternoon, so you two will have plenty of time to get caught up."

"Looking forward to it," Patience said sincerely.

"We're not going anywhere until I get at least a solid pound of all this Chinese food in me," Mark proclaimed to his sister.

Will respectfully drifted away. He looked at the well-dressed partygoers and felt a strange, sudden urge to steal away to his bedroom upstairs. He returned wearing an emerald green and black striped polo shirt and a pair of pressed khaki shorts.

No one regarded him any differently. As Will studied the faces of the people in the crowd, which had grown even more since he'd slipped away, he thought he recognized several students who had also been hit by the strange teleporting blue lightning.

There was something in their eyes that marked them. A serenity. A sense of triumph. A new confidence and maturity.

Zane was here now of course, talking to Percy and then making him laugh as he did an impression of an angry cat. Will inwardly smiled. It looked like he had at least two pals who didn't care if he was their "Big Guy" or not, just that he was a good guy.

Reminding himself to greet them later, he went over to Bertram and Candayce.

"Hey there, Ms. Chambers."

"What?" she asked, sounding annoyed as she jerked up her head from a plastic bowl of cheese wontons. She was practically plastered to a smiling Bertram, crunching peapods in his teeth.

"Uh, that fund-raiser," Will said. "I thought you might want to talk-"

She silenced him with an upraised hand.

"Do I _look_ like I'm in fund-raiser discussion mode?" she sighed. "Go. Shoo. Dance with your date, Will. Bert and I just want to eat right now."

 _My date?_ Will thought in confusion. _I don't have a date._

Bertram nodded. "Thanks for ordering the Chinese food."

"Anytime," he said distractedly.

Will looked at Patience once more and smiled. Oh, man. They honestly thought she was his date! This was classic! He had to tell her.

She'd stepped back from Marcus, who was slipping off his crutch onto the couch, surrounded by an assortment of delighted students who also hadn't seen him for a very long time.

"Feels good to be back, doesn't it?" Will asked her."

"Feels wonderful."

He stared at her, about to tell her what Candayce had said…when he was then overcome by a sudden, powerful urge to be close to her. Truly close.

"Hey, how bout' we dance?"

She bashfully looked away. "Eh, I dunno."

"Hey, the world won't end. We've been through that bit already," he joked. "Now come on. Make Wu proud."

She smiled and took his hands. He led her to an open patch of carpet near the fireplace.

A Toni Braxton song began playing, and they danced to the soothing, rhythmic tune, Will holding her close. She held her body stiffly, uncertainly at first, then slowly relaxed.

And then, catlike, Will nuzzled her.

Patience drew back, startled. "What the- Why'd you do that?"

His own eyes widened, and he looked about, lowering his head into his shoulders. "I-I have no clue."

But he actually did. Will had done it because he'd simply wanted to. Because it had felt like the most natural thing in the world to him.

He leaned in close and she allowed him. He rested his cheek against hers, and gave a soft chuff. Then a strange, trembling sound came from someplace deep in his throat.

Patience jerked back in shock again and stared at him, muscles quivering. "Oh my God. G.K. used to do that. How'd you know?"

Will just stared at her, putting his hands in his mouth. He was beyond speaking. Something was happening within him, something impossible and freaky. He felt like he was tumbling down the rabbit hole again, into a state that was half-awake, half-dreaming.

He watched, in uncomprehending disbelief, as his body stood back from her, raising his jaw, angling it proudly to one side, standing on tiptoe and inflating his chest with a deep breath. It was the same display a male Acrocanthosaurus used to impress a rival male. Or a female. And how in God's name did he know that?

It was then that somehow he knew that he hadn't returned to the present alone.

"Holy freaking shit. It just can't be," Patience half-whispered, half-hissed as she abruptly then looked around.

Will had no words. There weren't any to say. He knew they also weren't needed.

Instead, he answered her with a sigh, a "Come here," a gentle brush of his face against hers, a soft tiger chuff, and a gentle glance that told her everything she needed to know.

"Screw me with a cactus. You're also the Green Knight," she whispered, stunned, shaking.

Will was freaked and surprised too. Was this all some crazy-ass dream? He blinked and shook his head. But no. But then he remembered. The Green Knight had gone and sacrificed himself at the exact same moment Will's body had died so that Hook might live.

Those noble, selfless acts had linked them somehow, and the M.I.N.D. Machine had snatched the ridge-back's consciousness away just in time.

Its only dilemma was what to do with that awareness. And that hadn't been such a difficult matter, evidently.

Patience's brown eyes then softened, registering a quiet acceptance-and a strange excitement.

"So both of you, kiss me already," she whispered. "I've been waiting for only a hundred and twenty-two million years."

Will smiled weakly before leaning in close and covering her lips with his.

The awareness and instincts that had once belonged to a young adult male Acrocanthosaurus atokensis were baffled immensely by this odd courtship custom.

But he felt pretty positive he could grow to like it.

* * *

 **The song Patience sings is, very appropriately, "Human Again," a deleted song from Disney's Beauty and The Beast.**


	42. Chapter 42

**And meanwhile, back at the dinosaur ranch...**

* * *

 **Henry.**

(I'm sorry. It's too late fo-) Henry found himself telling a despondent Patience when, from a cloudless sky, a great, rocking machine, a van-sized mass of metal and circuitry, appeared in an explosion of blue-white light beside them. Lightning shot from it in a spider web of electricity, staggering Wu as it hit him and flooded over, through his body, striking and enveloping everyone except for Runt and Harriet.

His awareness was torn free, and, like in the enigmatic near-death experiences he'd heard about, Henry Wu briefly found himself floating above Ground Zero, watching as all their dinosaur bodies reacted instantly and instinctively to being under their own control again. And then the great vortex of blinding light and energy violently sucked him in.

He was distantly aware of the presence of Muldoon and Nedry as the M.I.N.D. Machine cast all three of their minds back through the millions of years, across the boundary between two different worlds.

And then Henry Wu found himself lying on his back, in a comfortable bed, eyes fluttering.

He was back in the body and world he was born to.

A human body, one that was so much smaller than the-what was it called? Iguanodon?-he vaguely recalled being in, one that no longer had scaly hide, that had hair on the head, a distinct anus and urethra and external sex organs instead of a cloaca, which was tailless and walked erect, not hunched forward.

But hadn't he always been in this body? He seemed to just barely remember having had this terribly strange dream, where he and Muldoon and Dennis had spent three extraordinary days in the bodies of dinosaurs…

Voices were speaking around him.

"Thank God, he's coming out of it," Wu heard Harding say in relief.

"And so is Senor Muldoon," Lucia, one of the Tican housekeepers, informed them.

"That's very good to hear," Wu heard Grant's voice over the radio.

From over a second radio, he then heard Arnold saying, "And don't look now guys, but Nedry's also coming around here on his couch in the control center. Lifting him was no picnic," he grunted.

"I can very well imagine," Malcolm said.

"Are Dr. Wu and the others going to be all right?" he heard Tim ask Regis in concern.

"That's what they're going to try to find out now," Ed replied.

"Henry, Henry," Hammond desperately babbled at his right. "Are you okay?! You've been unconscious for eight minutes."

"And so have Nedry and Muldoon," Arnold added over the radio.

Nedry. The name made Wu frown for some weird reason, feel almost disgusted and angry. But why should that be? He was just here to clean up all the bugs and glitches in the system, nothing more, nothing less. There was no tangible proof that he'd come to the island with any malevolent purpose. Yet something in the back of Wu's mind was whispering that in some way, Dennis Nedry was not to be trusted. Someone had told him. But who?

He didn't know anymore. And it was probably just his brain playing tricks on him. They had nothing to worry about with Nedry. Wu was positive.

"I thought this island was so safe, John," Gennaro said sarcastically.

"It is," Hammond said firmly.

"Oh really? When you can't even keep your staff safe from being hit by lightning in the park's own cont-"

"I'm fine. I think," Wu replied as he opened his eyes. It occurred to him that this was a gratifying, wonderful thing for some reason, being able to see directly forward again, to be able to evaluate range and see things in sharp detail once more, to no longer have to tilt his head to look right at something.

That was because he had the insane impression that for the longest time, he'd been in a body where he'd been forced to see the world from both quite a bit higher up, and from eyes that were on the sides of a long, scaly, horse like head-one that was very much like the hadrosaurs… Everything he'd looked at had been flat, and blurred to a degree. But he'd also had a far greater range of vision in that barely, half-remembered dream/hallucination, and his eyes had been amazingly great at detecting movement too.

Quickly glancing around the room, he realized that he'd been moved from the control room to one of the beds in the Safari Lodge. His shirt and shoes had been taken off at some point.

Harding and Hammond were hovering over him, John's eyes wide with both relief and a terrified concern behind his glasses.

"Can you still think ok, Henry?" Hammond asked him in agitation.

"Just give him a moment," Harding advised him. "He's just coming out of a coma, after all. Let him get his thoughts together."

"And what if he can't?" Hammond replied.

"It'll be okay grandpa," Lex said over the radio. "I prayed for Mr. Wu, Mr. Nedry, and Mr. Muldoon while they were knocked out, and now they're all waking up and alive."

"Bloody hell, what happened to us?" Wu heard Muldoon mutter.

"You were all hit by lightning, Senor Muldoon," Lucia informed.

"Which is damn puzzling," Arnold said over the radio, "because with the surge protectors and other methods we have to insulate the grid, there's no way that a bolt of lightning should've been able to penetrate our control room like that."

"Did it come in through a modem?" Wu asked as he slowly raised his head.

But then Hammond reached forward and gently pressed down on Wu's bare chest, softly telling him, "No Henry. Don't exert yourself. Just take things easy. I need you to be healthy."

Wu decided to humor the man as he laid back, Arnold replying, "Maybe. But the weirdest thing is, that that should've completely fried the server. Yet everything is working just fine. I don't get it."

"I think after this you should take a good hard look at your protective procedures for the grid," Malcolm said. "If you can have a disaster like this happen right in the park's central command, how can you possibly hope to maintain total control and isolation of its residents?"

"It was a fluke," Hammond snapped.

"You feeling okay, Rob?" Wu heard Harding ask Muldoon. Hadn't Muldoon been with him too? Yes. He'd been in the body of a gray-black, telepathic rhino sized dinosaur that had been kind of like one of the euoplocephalosaurs, but a long tail which tapered to a point and had a back and sides covered with bone spikes. What a bizarre dream!

"Never better. Fit as a fiddle. Back of my head sure hurts though."

"Not surprised. You took a nasty crack when you feel at the garage," Harding replied.

"Jesus. That explains the big bandage on the back of my head then."

"Are you feeling loopy at all, woozy, with disorganized thoughts or difficulty remembering?"

"Can't say I am," Muldoon replied. "I'm feeling as sound of mind as ever."

"Forget Rob for a moment," Hammond griped irritably. "It's Henry I'm most concerned about here."

Robert. Hadn't there been yet another man who went by that name with all of them, who'd caused the whole thing to begin with-whatever that "thing" was? And hadn't he been in the body of a feathered hypsilophodont? Wu inwardly laughed. Ridiculous. Hypsys didn't have feathers.

Harding came back over and shined a penlight in both of Wu's eyes.

"Oh Jesus, they're contracted!" Hammond exclaimed in mounting horror. "He has brain damage," he said sickly.

"No, he doesn't," Harding stated as he took the light away. "The fact that both his pupils contracted in response to the light-and are now dilating in tandem again-is a good sign, Mr. Hammond. If one stayed dilated while the other contracted however, or something similar, then that'd be cause for concern."

"Like Homer's sign," Ellie said.

Wu softly nodded. "I'm thinking quite clearly John, don't worry."

"Wonderful," Hammond sighed in relief.

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to put his intellect through its paces first for some confirmation," Grant said over the radio.

Harding nodded.

"What are the four basic components of DNA?" he asked Wu.

Wu fought the urge to roll his eyes as he replied, "Adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine."

"Where are you?"

"In the Safari Lodge on Isla Nublar, west of Costa Rica. Can you quit asking questions now Gerry?" Wu sighed as he sat up, shaking his head. Muldoon was already seated on the bed, slipping his boots back on and tying them.

"Very good," Harding replied. "Just bear with me while I ask one more. How many dinosaurs are there in the park at present?"

"Two hundred and thirty-eight. Can I be allowed to walk out of here now?"

Harding looked at Hammond, who nodded.

"By all means," Hammond smiled. "But if you feel faint, confused, tired, or any other sensation that might indicate a problem with your brilliant brain, Henry, don't think twice about telling one of us and getting some rest."

Wu nodded as he grabbed his red In-Gen T-shirt from a nearby chair and pulled it back over his head, then slipped his feet back into his brown leather slip-on shoes. "I'll do that."

"This is a warning that I'd heed right now if I were you, John," Malcolm said darkly. "Very ominous indeed, a crack in the wall, so to speak."

"It was a freak incident," Hammond said stubbornly.

"Isn't that how all disasters start?" Malcolm said rhetorically.

"Spare me, please."

"Well, now that that business is all over, let's get back to our tour," Regis said cheerily.

As he and Muldoon walked out of the lodge together, he asked the head ranger, "How's your head doing? From the size of that gauze pad, it looks like you hit the floor pretty hard."

Muldoon touched the back of his head as they walked, and winced. It was so wonderful that they could actually make facial expressions again. What? _Oh God, maybe there is something wrong with my mind_ , Wu thought.

"Yeah," Muldoon agreed. "Good thing I was wearing my bush hat. I've been through worse knocks though," he said dismissively. "So I'll live."

Not sure how to broach the topic, Wu carefully said, "You know Rob, while I was unconscious after the lightning strike-I had this completely insane dream, one where I was trapped in the body of a dinosaur. Did you too? I seem to remember that you were in it too."

Muldoon came to a stop. His eyes widened. He turned and looked in astonishment at Wu as his lips parted.

"Bloody Jesus Christ," he said softly. "I had a _very_ similar type of dream or maybe hallucination as well-and you were in mine, Henry!"

Now Wu was flabbergasted. "How-how could we have the same type of hallucination together? And-and…in mine there were four other people with us too. And Nedry was there as well, if you can believe it."

Muldoon stared at him for a long moment. "I'll be double damned," he said simply. "He…he was in mine as well. All of them."

"So they were in your dream or whatever you want to call it too?"

"What the hell! Yes. But how we could've had the same experience together absolutely staggers me. Do you think such a curious thing could've actually really happened to us, Henry?"

Wu shook his head firmly. "Absolutely not. Such a thing would be completely impossible."

Muldoon nodded distantly. "Pretty daft to even think about, honestly. What are you going to do now?"

Wu thoughtfully sighed, running his fingers through his thick black hair. "Right now, I'm going back to the control room. Then I'm going to go to the cafeteria and eat lunch. I'll enjoy eating some proper human food again," he muttered.

He suddenly paused in shock as Muldoon gave him a perplexed look. "Haven't you always eaten 'proper human food' as you just put it, Henry?"

Wu smiled and shook his head in slight embarrassment. "Well, yes. What a slip of the tongue that was."

Muldoon said then, "You know, just for the sake of it later tonight, I think you and I should get together and talk our fantasy dreams over. Get Nedry in on it too. I suspect he's had something just as curious run through his head while he was in his own coma."

"Sure."

But Wu and Muldoon would never get the chance.

* * *

 **Nedry.**

Dennis Nedry remembered _exactly_ what had happened to him over the past three days during the coma his body had been in for several minutes. He remembered how Patience and Zane had squealed on him, and that Muldoon and Wu had been so furious.

But on their last night, all three Jurassic Park employees had reached an agreement, one where he'd be forever banished from InGen's holdings, probably have a warrant put out for his arrest…but he'd also be given a sporting chance to run for it, and even better, take twenty of the valuable dinosaur embryos.

Still, Nedry was nervous as he sat back down in his station, having assured Arnold, Harding, and Hammond that he was perfectly A-okay, sipping at a can of Mountain Dew as he returned to the work he'd been doing when the machine's blue lightning had hit.

Would Wu or Muldoon change their minds and sound the alarm to the Billion Dollar Bastard's private cops now that they were all safely back? Nedry prayed both men would have just a bit more honor than that, after all he'd done for them back in the Early Cretaceous. But both the British and the Chinese were well known for having a strong sense of honor and fairness, right?

As the minutes crawled by, Arnold must've noticed his barely concealed tension.

"You're sweating bullets, Dennis," Arnold replied. "There something wrong?"

"Oh no," Nedry denied a bit too cheerily. "It's just the humidity in here."

"Come on, I'm not a total fool."

Nedry tensed.

"Nobody blames you for being wigged out, you know," Arnold said in a commiserating tone as Nedry looked at him. "Being zapped by lightning and put in a coma for several minutes is the kind of thing that can majorly mess up your day," Arnold shrugged. "And there's no shame at all about expressing that."

Nedry inwardly smiled and sagged with relief. Of _course_ Arnold was in the dark. He'd go with it.

"Thanks John. How nice of you to understand."

"Any time. And for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure that sort of thing isn't going to be happening again. Question is, why'd it even happen in the first place?" he muttered.

"Beats me," Nedry shrugged innocently.

No guards rushed in. No voices like God came over the intercom demanding that Nedry be seized. And he gradually relaxed. He'd pay more attention to the roads when he did have to leave, work harder to make a mental map of them in his head-and he certainly wouldn't go anywhere near the main river, no siree.

They were staying quiet. Nedry smiled.

When Wu strolled into the control room a few minutes later, Nedry heard him say, "Hello there, Dennis. You're okay after that hit by the lightning, I assume?"

"Of course!" Nedry said as he swiveled in his creaking chair. "Never better! And I'm glad you're all right too, Henry," he added sincerely.

"Count me in too," Arnold added. "Seeing both of you tense up and fall to the floor like that-it scared me to death."

Wu gave a thin smile as he looked at both of them. "Thanks for caring. I'm surprised to see that you're addressing me on a first-name basis so soon though, Nedry. And here Hammond said you were the surly type," he grinned.

"Eh, yet more proof that Hammond doesn't know everything," Arnold replied.

Like hell he doesn't, Nedry thought.

Nedry waved Wu over to his console. The geneticist slightly cocked his head and came closer, lowering his head as his brown-black almond eyes met Nedry's. It was quite a change from the larger goat ones of the Iguanodon.

"Well, how could I just call you Dr. Wu anymore after all the three of us have been through?"

Wu's eyebrows narrowed in confusion as he moved his head back slightly.

"What do you mean? I don't think you've even seen Muldoon for more than fifteen minutes, and we've only been in each other's company for three hours."

For a few moments, Nedry was then consumed by bafflement himself. Then he lightly laughed.

"Come on, don't pull my leg now Henry," he grinned. "You know what I'm talking about. Does the word Iguanodon ring a bell?"

For an instant, Wu gave him a look, something between abject confusion and recognition in his eyes, like it was something that he almost remembered, but couldn't grasp in full.

"No," he said simply. "It doesn't. All it means to me is that it's a genus of ornithopod that was one of the first dinosaurs ever described. Other than that, I really don't know what you're trying to do here."

Nedry was silent again, inwardly shocked.

"You don't remember?"

"Why would he?" Arnold chimed in. "You and he were both out cold for eight minutes. There was nothing for him _to_ remember. You sure you're okay up there?" he said suspiciously.

"I am," Nedry said automatically, even as Wu stared back, just as mystified. Dennis's mind was racing.

Surely Wu had to remember their fantastic adventure in another world as vividly as he did! They'd just come back from Ground Zero only a couple hours ago. He had to just be playing dumb for Arnold.

Unless…

"So, is there a point to these questions?" Wu asked coolly. "Do I win or lose? I'm a very busy man Nedry, and I'd highly recommend you'd best be getting back to your work as well," he added as he stood erect again and began to turn away. "Between getting hit by lightning and finding out that some of the dinosaurs are somehow evidently breeding now, it's been a very difficult afternoon for me, and I'm in no mood to play childish mind games," he muttered.

Then it hit Nedry. Even after so many extraordinary experiences, events that should've been indelibly seared into his mind, Wu had evidently forgotten most-or even all-of their insane adventure. And if he'd forgotten somehow, then Muldoon might well have too…

The idea was incredible, but it was true. And it suddenly struck Nedry that it was also hilarious.

He whipped around to face the monitor once more, so suddenly that he nearly fell out of the chair, lowering his head as he fought to stifle convulsions of laughter.

He needed to get a grip, to not let his mirth show, give the game away! But it was difficult to hide his elation, his amusement at the irony.

If Wu didn't remember what they'd experienced in the bodies of dinosaurs-or just dismissed it as all a vague dream-then that meant he also wouldn't remember Zane and Patience telling him about Nedry's intended betrayal. That meant Wu no longer knew anything that could hurt him. Probably Muldoon, too.

His plan was back in business. No banishment from the company or its properties. No only taking ten species instead of fifteen. This was great!

"Well," Wu said, "I have some files to go through at the lab. I just can't understand it," he said, shaking his head.

"Hey, shit happens," Arnold said. "The world's not going to end just because five species of the dinosaurs literally grew balls and began making little dinos when they shouldn't have."

Wu lightly smiled. "Still, I need to see where we went wrong."

And then, from the loudspeaker, came the Billion Dollar Cheap Crone's voice.

"You've had a profoundly tough afternoon, Henry," Hammond said warmly. "How about you take a break and come join me for a wonderful dinner? It would be grand to have your company," Hammond added, with a faint that's-not-a-request-buddy intonation to the words.

For a moment, Wu's eyes displayed a trace of annoyance and exasperation. The same exasperation which had drawn the M.I.N.D. Machine to the three of them.

But he then said, "Thanks for the offer John. I'll be glad to join you."

Nedry briefly watched Henry Wu as he turned his back on both men and strolled out of the control room. For several moments, he felt a piercing twinge of guilt.

Although the geneticist evidently no longer recalled their adventure and trials, the bonds of friendship and maybe even family they'd all formed, Dennis did. And now he was going to betray Wu, take at least fifteen of the hard-created embryos behind his back. Steal from a man who'd now become a friend in a way.

It was almost enough to make Nedry decide to scuttle the entire thing completely, maybe even chase Wu down and confess to the scientist what he'd been planning to do all this time, beg for forgiveness.

Almost. But not quite.

He'd only be doing this underhanded thing once, after all. Then he'd never need to do it again.

* * *

Some say that fate is what you make it. Others say that destiny will have its way with you in the end, no matter how hard you fight to avoid it.

Before paralyzing the park's security system, a now wiser Nedry hedged his bets and took a good hard look at the layout of the island's roads. But in the savage tropical storm, he still got lost anyway.

Nedry's wrong turn didn't lead him to the jungle river and the Dilophosaurus that would've brutally killed him.

Instead, the dirt road he was on unexpectedly led him to another huge electric fence, on a maintenance road. It was a paddock for one of the dinosaurs. But which kind? Nedry only knew that he had to get back to control ASAP before the other staff got concerned or the tyrannosaurs broke out like Zane and Patience had said they would.

In the Jeep's headlights, he saw splintered and chewed vegetation behind the fence. That meant there was some type of plant-eating dinosaur being kept in this paddock. So that meant going in was most likely safe.

Nedry got out of the Jeep, opened the paddock fence, got back in the driver's seat, drove ten yards inside it, got out, shut the gate back behind him, and then got back in the Jeep to carry on.

Perhaps if things had been just a bit different, Dennis Nedry would've gotten through the Triceratops paddock safely, and back to the control center in plenty of time to turn the power back on and keep any incidents from happening. No harm, no foul.

But on that particular night, already spooked and worked up by the lightning, having a Jeep come through their territory at the unusual time of night with bright lights, foul smells, and a growling engine, smelling Nedry's unfamiliar odor that was different from their handlers, a band of six Triceratops cows charged the Jeep.

There was no chance of him outrunning these ladies. Like elephants, the great dinosaurs rammed the car again and again, lifted it off the ground with their horns and shoved their terrible weapons through the sheet metal like spears.

As they threw and rolled it like a pop can, Nedry's last act was to extricate himself from the car and make a run for it while the Triceratops were focused on filling it with holes.

But one of the cows noticed. With a sound like a train putting on the brakes as it fell down into a canyon, she wheeled, and chased him down. And with a duck, then toss, of her huge head, she filled Nedry full of holes too.

Destiny had had its way with both Dennis Nedry and the park.

* * *

 **Wu.**

Later that night, Henry Wu was woken in his room in the huge staff lodge by an inexplicable dream. In it, he'd been trapped inside the body of some huge, hadrosaur like plant-eater-the Iguanodon Nedry had spoken of, perhaps?-standing his ground in a dark forest of immense trees like redwoods, bracing himself to meet the impact of an enraged three ton dinosaur of the same species, roaring and clearly wanting to see Wu dead.

With no choice, Wu had fought back, both of them battling like sumo wrestlers, slapping and straining against and biting each other, stabbing their opponent with thumbs that were like black spikes.

Then the other dinosaur had begun to overpower Wu, grabbing him, biting into his shoulder and stabbing him full of holes. It was at that point that Wu did a-something-in his brain and somehow caused a great sheet of ice to form underneath his attacker's hind feet in the hot, muggy forest, sending him crashing to the ground and giving Henry the chance to break away, blood trickling from his wounds.

At that, Wu's eyes snapped open. He looked up at the ceiling above him, ghostly pale in the moonlight that now came in through the window as he breathed shallowly and looked around. His eyes fell on the digital clock, reading the green numbers on the liquid crystals: 3:12 AM.

He laid back down, mind racing. What was happening to him? He dreamed of all sorts of things when he went to sleep of course. And not surprisingly, dinosaurs featured in many of them.

But Wu had never dreamed of actually being a dinosaur. Come to think of it, he'd been having just the same fantasy when he'd been in a brief coma after the lightning had struck him. Had it even been a fantasy at all though? It'd felt so damn real, after all.

"Please," Wu sighed up at the ceiling, a part of him relishing being able to hear his own voice once more-but why would that be?! "I can't be losing my mind. If this was something that truly did happen to me, then why can't I remember _exactly what it was_?"

He needed to talk to someone. Arnold was almost certainly still up, trying to unscramble the phone lines after Nedry had shut the power off and then left the rest of them stranded. Part of Wu almost seemed to remember that not only had Nedry been with him and Muldoon in the fantastic dream, but that someone had told him at some point that the programmer was going to pull this.

It was certainly true that Dennis had spoken to him in a very odd way earlier in the evening. Could there really be some type of connection there?

Wu shook his head as he sat up. This was driving him mad! He needed a willing ear.

Getting out of bed, he got dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, then headed over to control.

The storm had gone, and now, just a few clouds were left in the sky.

At the halfway mark, something just made Wu suddenly stop and look up at the waxing moon and the stars. He listened to the frogs and katydids singing. It reminded him so much of summer nights growing up in Ohio. And of eating frog legs with his family. Flowering bushes were blooming along the path, filling the night air with their sweet perfume.

And then, quite to his astonishment, Wu found himself fighting back tears. It was incredible. He'd never been the type to just break down suddenly. Not without a very good reason.

But, for some insane reason, here he was, heart quivering with sorrow and helplessness and maybe even fear as he regarded the scene around him, under the gorgeous umbrella of the night sky and listening to its sounds.

 _That's because it's almost over_ , an inner voice said within him. It didn't feel like his own. It was male though, and seemed profoundly gentle, understanding. Wise. _Over for all of it. That's why you're sad and scared, Henry. It's perfectly natural to be upset and scared as the end draws near._

 _Nothing's drawing near!_ Wu inwardly snapped back. _Arnold and the others have a very good handle on things, the power is back on, and the park is close to being ship-shape again! And I'm in the prime of my life, perfectly healthy, totally safe from being harmed by any of the animals. Everything's under control, and I'm just fine._

The other inner voice was quiet. But it was a knowing sort of quiet.

At another point on his walk to control, something made Wu turn and look at the guest lodge. When he did, a weird chill came over him, and some impression crossed his mind. For just a few moments, he thought of himself as being like a bear, following the scent of old pastries and dog food and sugary cereal and burnt honey to a clearing in the woods. And in some enigmatic way, Wu had the brief, unnerving sensation that at that lodge, just like with the naive bear, some cruel-hearted fate would be lifting up a rifle and placing its sights on him…and then pulling the trigger.

 _Checkmate_.

As he walked into the control room, Arnold, head wreathed in cigarette smoke and sucking at a mug of coffee, was still at it, just like Wu had thought. But so was Gennaro, seated in another chair as he watched Arnold work, stocky and brooding in khaki shorts and red golf shirt, the light from the bulbs and screens reflecting off his glasses.

The sight made Wu hesitate. What was the lawyer doing here at this hour? He'd expected and hoped to find Arnold alone. Wu was very much aware that Gennaro didn't regard the park as a soundly working, reliable place with reliable people in the least, hadn't from the start, and the events of the past several hours certainly hadn't helped matters. Talking to Arnold about some sort of hallucination where he'd been wandering around in the Early Cretaceous in the body of a dinosaur would only make it seem like Jurassic Park's head geneticist, the man who brought these creatures back from the dead, was either utterly insane or taking drugs.

Time to exit stage right and come back at a better time.

But then Gennaro noticed him.

Slightly raising his head, the lawyer turned slightly as his pupils dilated. "Dr. Wu? What are you doing up this late?"

"I could say the same thing." He was caught.

Gennaro shrugged. "Couldn't sleep with all this crap going on. So I'm staying up for a bit to watch John's progress in fixing things and hopefully getting the phones working again so we can get a doctor for poor Malcolm."

"Which is proving a real bitch to do," Arnold growled.

"I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep either," Wu said.

"Two of a kind then," Gennaro said. "Can't say I blame you."

"Grab a chair and enjoy the show if you want," Arnold said over the lip of his coffee mug.

Wu did just that. He was silent for a few minutes, just watching Arnold work.

Then he carefully broached the topic.

"It all right if I talk with you, John? If it's distracting you from any way from this work, I'll keep quiet."

"Go ahead. I can do two things at once."

Wu then looked at Gennaro.

"No offense, Mr. Gennaro, but I'd like to speak with Mr. Arnold here alone for a while."

The lawyer's voice came out like steel as he spoke. "I've had my fill of evasiveness on this blasted island already. If there's something you've got to tell Mr. Arnold, Dr. Wu, you can tell him in front of me."

Wu inwardly sighed. Once more, he thought about just leaving it for later.

No. He wasn't going to let Gennaro's presence intimidate him.

"All right," he conceded. "Remember those eight minutes when I was unconscious from the lightning strike?"

"Do I ever," Arnold replied. "They seemed like three hours."

"Well, during that time, I experienced what I suppose you could call a bizarre dream, maybe even a hallucination, one that's really been weighing on my mind."

"You're ok now I hope?" Gennaro said in sudden concern. "You're thinking clearly and rationally again, I presume?"

"Of course I am," Wu replied, irritation slipping into his voice. "I am only speaking about what happened when I was in the coma, when I no longer had control over my own mind. And when do our dreams ever make rational sense?"

"Very seldom," Gennaro said knowingly. "My daughter Amanda could tell you all about that. Among other things, she's told me about dreams where she became the queen of all the unicorns, married Ken and lived in the Barbie Dream House, and was terrorized by Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty," he chuckled.

Wu chuckled too, making Arnold briefly look at him and blink. Maybe if he gave the impression that it was all a silly, comic thing-instead of the haunting, almost real and tangible experience it actually had been-Gennaro would swallow the idea of it better.

So he gave a smile as he leaned back in the chair and began.

"I must've been spending too much time around these dinosaurs," he commented, "because in the dream, I was in the body of a dinosaur as well."

Arnold laughed. "That's funny. Not surprising though. I've had dreams like that from working here myself. In fact, I've dreamed at least twice that I was in the body of the big rex, running around and smashing and roaring at stuff…it was pretty damn awesome. What dinosaur were you, Henry?"

"Something very like a duckbill. But not exactly."

"Pfft. That's a lame body," Arnold snorted. "But you got what the dream gave you, I guess."

"It didn't feel like a lame body to me," Wu replied in some irritation. "I was really strong in it, and it also had these spiked thumbs I used as weapons."

"Like an old-time gangster's stiletto knives," Gennaro commented. "I learned about that type of dinosaur from one of my daughter's books once, but I'll be damned if I can remember the name now. Something-don."

"And at some point during the dream," Wu added carefully, "I used them in earnest when I was attacked by this huge pack of raptors. They had feathers, believe it or not."

Arnold laughed in approval. "Feathered raptors, huh? Now that's definitely crazy, all right. Being attacked by them sounds more like the sort of dream Muldoon would have, though."

"He was there," Wu found himself saying with conviction. "So was Nedry."

Both men turned to look at him oddly.

Backpedaling, Wu quickly added, "In this hallucination or whatever."

Gennaro nodded. "Understandable. After all, you work with and see Muldoon every day, and you'd just seen Nedry too, so he'd be standing out very fresh in your mind."

"Was this dream of yours a Malcolm-esque chaotic mess," Arnold asked, "or was there any sort of structure to it?"

"There was a structure to it," Wu told them. He paused, frowning. "If I'm recalling any of this correctly…I know it sounds like something out of the Lord Of the Rings books-"

"One ring to rule them all, one ring to bind them," Gennaro chimed in.

"but-and I swear to God this was true-the three of us had to find a sort of amber key."

"And let me guess, you had to toss it into the fires of Mount Doom or something, didn't you?" Arnold ventured. "Hopefully no one ended up with nine fingers," he laughed.

Wu smiled. "Actually, in this crazy dream, the amber key wasn't something we had to destroy. We had to take it with us and use it to solve some type of mystery at this place, far away." Wu laughed.

"Interesting," Gennaro commented. "And rather eclectic, I must say."

"As bizarre as it sounds, this place was called Ground Zero for some odd reason, and Nedry, Muldoon, and I had to go there as dinosaurs. To get out of our dinosaur bodies. I don't know," Wu said, shaking his head. "I'll be damned if I can understand it."

"That makes two of us," Gennaro said.

Wu nodded, smiling in amusement.

"And now that I think about it, even though it makes no sense…there were four other people with the three of us in this crazy dream as well."

"Were they in the bodies of dinosaurs too?" Arnold inquired in mirth.

"Oh, absolutely," Wu nodded.

"I don't think I've met people like them recently at all, but all the same…Three of them were teenagers. One was an adult, I think?"

"They have names in your dream at all?" Gennaro asked.

"And what kinds of dinosaurs were they?" Arnold added.

Wu smiled and chuckled as he nodded again. "Oh, yes. To make a long story short, the adult in the group was called Mr. London, and he was a hypsy. He had fur-like feathers, oddly enough."

"That's sure odd," Arnold agreed.

"As for the three teens…" Wu paused as he racked his brain. "One was called Will. He was a feathered Deinonychus in this hallucination, dream, whatever you want to call it. Another of our companions was named Zane. He was like a smaller type of brachiosaur, and had an even smaller, baby sauropod which followed him around all the time."

"Any girls in this nutty dream journey?" Gennaro smirked.

"Funny that you say that," Wu replied. "Because last, but not least, the final teenager was named Patience. She was trapped in the body of this theropod that was the size of a tyrannosaur, but had a sort of tall, muscle covered ridge going down its back. An acrocan-something, I think."

"Sounds like quite a cast," Arnold commented.

Wu smiled and nodded.

"Before I start talking about the journey all four of us went on in this bizarre dream, I'm going to be honest and admit that of all the people that were with me in it…well, I think Patience was the best one."

"Any reason why?" Gennaro asked.

"Because she became good friends with me," Wu said simply. "At the end of it. I'm pretty sure she loved me, in fact."

Then Henry Wu paused. Something circled around the limits of his mind, and descended down into his chest to lightly caress his heart, generating a feeling of melancholic affection.

The geneticist's voice came out in an uncharacteristically thoughtful, wistful tone as he spoke again, eyes suddenly far away.

"And I loved Patience too."


	43. Chapter 43

**Zane**

Zane breathed out as he sat back up and stared at the test on his desk. He'd marked off all the questions and finished the essay.

It had taken him all of fifteen minutes.

Taking a deep breath, he collected his books and stood up. Immediately, he felt the expectant, confused stares of his classmates, and heard some whispers.

"What's he up to now?"

"Look, he's going to pull something!"

"Oh, man, we gotta see this!"

Zane's history teacher, Mr. Kleinman, eyed him rather warily. Taking the completed test from his desk, Zane considered that it wasn't too late yet. He could still turn back.

He waited for some smart remark to come from his Psychic Friends Network about this. But it didn't.

Zane had been aware when he'd gotten up that morning and gotten on the bus with his sisters that this might not be the best day to try what he had in mind. The school had been closed for nearly a week as investigators attempted to locate the source of the mysterious "electrical fault" that had struck down so many students.

Irate parents had lodged complaints and threatened lawsuits. Some of the "electrocuted" students were still being kept home, even though their physicals had shown them to be perfectly fine.

Everyone was uneasy today. Students and teachers alike wondered, was it safe? Or would some other crazy thing happen on their first day back?

And here Zane was, approaching his teacher, test in hand, almost twenty minutes before the bell.

"A bathroom pass?" Mr. Kleinman asked wearily. He was a somewhat portly man in navy blue dress pants, a tan button-up shirt, and a green and orange striped tie. Bald on top, he had a brown mustache and beard which reminded Zane of a sea otter.

"Not today." Zane handed him the test.

Mr. Kleinman looked it over thoughtfully, suspiciously. "Well, I can see you've filled everything in…"

Zane idly looked around, trying not to break out in a sweat. He saw the other students watching. They looked shocked, confused, thrown for a loop.

Some guy in an Animainiacs T-shirt said, "He's gotten the essay done _that_ early?"

"No, he's gonna pull a trick. Fall down or something."

Zane studied his shoes. Everyone was expecting old Zany to have pulled-or shortly pull-some kind of silly stunt.

They were going to get a let-down.

Mr. Kleinman drew in a deep breath, then let it out again as he read Zane's response to the essay question. He gazed at Zane with a faint look of awe and hope.

"You truly understand this material?" he asked him.

Zane nodded, and then began to talk in depth about his thoughts about the essay question, about how things might've gone differently if the USA had been more proactive and instead of fostering an isolationist policy, had gone to war with Japan before the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor had taken place. He was speaking for just close to a minute before he heard little scratching sounds behind him, and sheepishly realized the other students were either taking notes or changing their answers!

"Hey!" Mr. Kleinman barked sharply. "What did I say on the first day of this semester? No 'cheetahs' in class!"

He then shrugged and pointed in the direction of the hall pass. "Run along and enjoy yourself then. You've earned it. I never thought I'd see the day, but you have."

"Thanks." Zane plodded to the door, thinking of all the last-second gags he could still pull. He heard murmurs.

"Did Zany just do what I think he did?"

"This, from Zane, 'The Ox Brain?'"

"Now I _know_ the apocalypse is upon us."

"No way…"

"Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day."

"Back to work folks," Mr. Kleinman drawled. "Your essays won't write themselves."

It would take time for everyone to catch on, and then accept. And Zane still wasn't a hundred percent sure he was doing the right thing.

But Wu, Nedry, Muldoon, all brilliant, brilliant men in their own way, had to a man told him at some point during their weird adventure that he was so much smarter than even he gave himself credit for, and that it was a real travesty that he was hiding his light under a bushel. And they were right.

Zane was tired of doing things for other people's sake. Always acting like Ed the hyena, pulling pranks to entertain them and make them like him, want to hang out with the silly guy. Deliberately getting a "nothing special" score on exams because of his fear that he'd be rejected, ostracized, if his classmates knew just how sharp that brain in his skull was.

Oh, he'd always have a playful, youthful side. It was fun having fun! But it was also time for him to start doing things for his _own_ benefit, being true to himself.

On their last night together, Zane and Nedry had talked, and Zane had brought up the subject of Nedry's job, computer programmer.

Nedry had told him that if you were into that sort of thing, a programming job wasn't a bad way to make a living. You didn't have to do much in the way of grueling physical labor, got to travel to all sorts of interesting places, meet and talk to lots of interesting people, generally got a very handsome salary from your clients. It was also a job that challenged the mind, brought out your creativity and forced you to really get inventive, put on your thinking cap. Zane decided he liked the sound of that.

 _Maybe_ _ **I**_ _could become a computer programmer after I graduate from here_ , he thought in excitement.

He left the classroom without even dropping his pants.

Zane was halfway down the hall when he heard a scuffle near the stairs, and laughing. He approached cautiously and saw a bunch of darkly clad truants messing around, shoving each other, laughing at some sick joke one of them had told.

Zane nervously looked back and spotted the empty bench where the hall monitor should've been.

Well, it was no biggie. The hall monitor would return from his break soon enough. These guys would move on.

"Yo, Michelin Man!" one of the toughs called.

Zane automatically turned to face them as the other two snickered.

"You crack me up, Daryl," one laughed.

"Made him look," another one quipped.

Then, like the raptors, they were swarming around him. Black T-shirts with the names of death metal bands and devils or skulls on them. Ripped jeans. Boots. Some temporary tattoos of dragons, rats, and the like. Hair in unnatural colors.

They seemed to practically salivate, seeing a target to taunt or terrorize.

"Got a hall pass?" the lead tough, his hair a scarlet-tipped buzz cut, taunted. "We just might have to report that there's a hippo running loose in the-"

Remembering the cardinal rule of dealing with bullies, Zane turned and walked casually in the other direction.

But the group followed him out of the stairwell, leaping around him, stalking him, laughing.

Red Tip came around and blocked his path. "Aww, don't run away now on us! Did we scare you Zany? Are you, like, worried we're gonna take your lunch money or something?"

Zane made himself stare back at the guy. He thought about how afraid and helpless he'd always felt in situations like this. And how he'd always relied on Will or someone else to always come to his aid…

"Hah, lunch money," a guy with purple swatches of hair laughed. "This looks like a guy who could stand to lose a few pounds."

"Maybe he could go to the zoo and share food with the gorillas," his friend sneered. "He'd fit right in."

Zane had been in the body of a fifteen ton sauropod. He'd never forget that feeling of confidence, power and disdain. So he darted forward, meeting Red Tip's eyes.

The punk darted back, taken by surprise, a little off-balance. His breath quickened. "Hey, we're not finished with you, fatso!" he challenged.

From the corner of his eye, Zane saw one of the others dart forward, hand raised to slap the books out of Zane's hand as a grin spread over his face.

But Zane was quicker, yanking his books out of the way as he half turned. The purple-haired dude's momentum carried him forward, and he fell against a nearby wall in a heap.

His so-called friends both laughed at him. "Looks like Michelin Man's got some moves up his sleeve!"

Zane glared and compressed his lips, set his jaw, the way he tended to do when he was angry. "I could open any of these classroom doors and have you dudes in detention in a second. Or you could back off. Your choice."

Red Tip gave a nasty little laugh. "You would, you wuss. Go running to the nearest teacher like a mountain lion was after your fat ass. Save me from the bullies!"

Zane was bigger than Red Tip. Maybe not stronger, but a lot bigger. And he'd faced things way worse than a trio of punks. He coolly came in close, until he was almost standing on the other teen's boots.

"No," Zane replied flatly. "It would be to save _you_. Oh, and if a mountain lion ever came after me?" he added. " _I wouldn't run_." He meant every word too. "Get the picture?"

Zane's gaze narrowed. He wasn't afraid in the least anymore.

Maybe Red Tip might take a swing at him in response. Maybe these guys could swarm him and bring him to his knees. Maybe. But it wouldn't happen without Zane giving as good as he got first.

Red Tip broke and glanced away. "Whatever you say. No one's impressed by your charade."

But Red Tip backed up and turned anyway. "Say, how about we hit my dad's place after school this afternoon, have some shots of gin?" he proposed to his two jackals as they followed him, heading to the staircase and vanishing.

A few moments later, Zane heard other footsteps. The hall monitor appeared. He was short and stocky, with a black crew-cut and big friendly dark blue eyes. He wore an orange shirt and old khaki jeans. He seemed surprised to see Zane.

"Hall pass?" the monitor questioned.

Zane showed it to him.

"Well, go wherever you want, then. The library, study hall, take a walk. It's totally up to you."

Zane gave a great smile, realizing for the first time in so very long, that it really, truly was.

* * *

 **Le gasp! Has Dennis Nedry actually been a good influence on someone?!**

 **We're almost done now with this crossover, just two or three chapters left until the end. Next one will see our good Dr. Wu have his bloody date with destiny, unfortunately. And then things are going to get _truly_ weird as hell.**


	44. Chapter 44

**And like I said, this is one of a few chapters where both the plot and Henry's next life become extremely insane and confusing. To be true though, all the concepts I'm using in this great big mindscrew of the story arc are ones Scott Ciencin used in the last pair of books in the Dinoverse series.**

 **And besides, there just might be a heartwarming payoff after all this gear-stripping craziness you're about to dive into. :) So hang on folks!**

* * *

 **Henry**

Harding came out into the hallway from Malcolm's room.

"Where's Ellie?" he said in mounting concern.

"Still outside," Wu replied as he watched her work the raptor trio.

"Better get her in," Harding warned. "Both raptors have left the skylight."

 _My God._

"When?" Wu snapped, an altruistic fear for Ellie surging up within him, even as he turned and instinctively ran for the door, feeling his feet pounding against the carpet as he rushed for the door handle.

"Just a moment ago," Harding said from behind him.

He threw open the front door, the cloud forest mist and gray sunlight washing over him, laced with the scent of rotting leaves, moist earth….and from somewhere close by-much too close by-a wild, bird of prey and monitor lizard, carrion odor that sent a buried, primitive part of the geneticist's lizard brain into a tizzy of primal terror.

"Ellie!" he shouted at her frantically. " _Inside_ , _now_!"

She looked over at him, blue eyes regarding him quizzically. "There's no problem, everything's under control…"

If only she knew a trap was about to be sprung!

"Now!"

Above the sounds of the crickets and katydids and frogs calling in the shroud of fog-and from above _him_ -Wu thought he heard the scraping of claws, and a soft, breathy, pair of serpent hisses.

She shook her head. "I know what I'm doing," she proclaimed confidently.

" _Now, Ellie, damn it_!" A final, frantic trumpet.

Then, as Wu kept his gaze locked on her face, the look of confusion vanished to be replaced by one of horror as her eyes widened, Ellie raising her head to look at something above and behind him.

And Henry Wu understood then too, an awful, dawning recognition exploding within him as he heard the scratch of claws on concrete, and saw the shadow sliding out into the air, expanding, a smaller one joining it.

It was the same type of terminal, helpless, numb horror that the Thomson's gazelle buck knows when the cheetah rockets out from the grass, eyes locked on him, far too close to hope to outrun, when the ringed seal raises his head once again from a fitful slumber on the Arctic ice to check for danger, and then sees, already too late to even consider diving back into the safety of the frigid water, the polar bear in his vision, teeth bared and terrible swiping paws with hooked claws reaching for him, the weapons that in seconds will destroy both the shape and function of his brain.

And Henry Wu's own brilliant one had just fatally betrayed him.

 _Checkmate_ , he thought numbly, sickly.

Everything seemed to happen then in an awful slow motion, the natural soundtrack stopping dead for Wu.

There was plenty of time to watch the velociraptor land on her feet next to him like a big cat, viper eyes locked on him as, before he could even tilt his body back toward the safety of the hallway, she threw out her arms and dug the trident claws on her right one into the flesh of his left upper arm, hooking Wu to her.

Both blood and pain welled forth as she then clamped her alligator jaws on his upper arm like a steel trap, yanking him from the threshold and out into the mist. Wu tried to kick the raptor's legs out from underneath her with a sweep of his right leg. But he was already too late as she raised her left leg-again, all in awful slow motion-and slashed diagonally at his abdomen with that lethal sickle claw.

There was a white-hot, searing pain, like a great scalpel being run through his belly from just below the right side of his ribcage to his left hip, slicing through the abdominal fat and muscles, Wu watching his own intestines well up out of the tear as he fell backward, blood spraying as Ellie seemed to be uttering glassy shrieks of horror.

And then, even as Henry Wu, operating on pure desperate instinct now, reached out and tried to grapple with the raptor standing on his thighs, she lowered her head and began to greedily tear at his own intestines and liver.

White-hot road flares of excruciating agony burst inside Wu's brain as he bowed his spine and gasped, feet drumming on the dirt. But even as the velociraptor bolted down his organs, he still weakly tried to shove her head away, maybe gouge her demonic eyes.

Somehow, he managed to grab the middle finger of the raptor's probing, pawing left hand with his right one and twist, torqueing until it broke with a wrenching of tendon and brittle snap of bone.

The raptor jerked her head back, snarled in anger, and then used one of her feet to pin his right arm securely to the ground.

The second raptor jumped down then, and darted over, new pain exploding as she bit into Wu's right thigh, taking two huge bites of living flesh.

There can be few sensations more chilling and disconcerting than feeling your blood pouring out over your skin, and of hearing the sounds of your own bones cracking in a predator's teeth, each crack the soundtrack to an electric flare of pain.

If there is any aspect of being killed by a predator which habitually disembowels its prey that can be viewed as positive, it is that death comes quite swiftly from shock and blood loss. Indeed, it is often faster than the strangling throat bite used by leopards and other big cats.

And mercifully, the agony for Wu lasted less than two minutes before the numbing peace of shock swept over him. As his eyes closed, he was just dimly aware of both raptors turning away from him to pursue a screaming Ellie.

 _Surplus killing_ , he incoherently thought as he started to slip out of consciousness.

Seconds later, the hellish anguish stopped at last.

And then, at the age of thirty-three, Dr. Henry Wu stopped too.

* * *

"But the dead are not lost forever. They are the storm on the wind. They are the sudden brightness in the sky. They are the earth. They are the air. The dead...are not dead." _Ultimate Enemies: Lions and Elephants_ , National Geographic Television, 2005.

For Wu, there were a few seconds of blackness, as forbidding and total as the interior of a cave. He then felt, with a baffled awe, his awareness disconnecting from, floating free of his body. He watched with a strange detachment as he rose into the air like a balloon, looking down at his torn, eviscerated body in the grass as Ellie desperately climbed a palm tree and the raptors ran to its base, leaping to grasp the bark with their claws.

The middle finger on one raptor's left hand hung at an awkward angle, a clinical part of him noticed. A permanent price to remember her victim by.

And suddenly, there was a burst of blue light before him, forming a tunnel that crackled with electricity. It rushed forward at Wu like a train, sucked him in, engulfed him, the reality of Isla Nublar dropping away in shards-

Another moment of blackness. Wu gasped in shock-and his eyes snapped open.

When they did, Wu found himself staring up at a lime green ceiling. Baffled, he quickly took stock of his new circumstances.

He was lying on his back, naked, in a bed. The mattress seemed to be stuffed with feathers, and the pillow his head was resting on also felt filled with down. The pillow was gold, and the soft, quilted comforter covering his nude body was crimson red. The color of luck in his culture.

Sitting up, Wu shook his head. At the side of the bed was a sturdy chair made of rich brown wood, the only other piece of furniture in the room. On it was a pair of men's underwear, a plain red men's T-shirt, navy blue cargo shorts, a pair of brown sandals with Velcro straps, and most curiously of all, a black wallet that seemed made from the hide of some sort of big reptile.

The floor was made of pure marble, veins and deltas of purplish brown filigreeing the ivory surface, smooth and polished. And the air in the room was amazingly clean and fresh, with a distinct antiseptic quality to it.

Wu frowned in abject confusion. What was he doing here?

Then he moved the comforter down towards his thighs, looking at his abdomen-and got an awful shock.

"What in the hell?!" he yelped.

There was a long scar on his stomach, a jagged, shredded lightning bolt of a mark that ran from his ribcage to the left hip.

Suddenly it all came back to Wu as he looked at the gruesome scars on his upper arm too, the realization galvanizing him. The raptor landing next to him. The pain and pressure on his upper arm as he was yanked out the door. His intestines spilling out behind the sickle claw.

The raptors had killed him. He was dead.

"No," he said thickly, refusing to accept as his body trembled in fear and horror and even injustice. "My God, no."

But it was true all the same. His mortal life was over. He'd never know fame. He'd never see the park open and the human race give a collective shout of delight. He'd never start a family. He'd never see or talk to his own family again. He'd never be able to publish and write up his eagerly awaited papers about the scientific breakthroughs he'd accomplished in the lab.

Wu was also rather pleasantly surprised at the same time though, to find out that there evidently _was_ an immaterial existence beyond the earthly realm. As Chinese Buddhists, his parents had raised him with the belief that after a person died, depending on their karma and conduct in life, they could end up in one of either seven distinct "heavens," or one of seven "hells." A soul could also achieve reincarnation too from any of those fourteen realms of course, to live a mortal existence once more and accumulate another share of the merit that in time, would see them become an enlightened being.

Naturally, Wu was also very aware of the Christian concept of the afterlife too. But as he'd grown older and more educated, he'd cast aside any idea of a heaven or hell. You lived your life, grew older, fulfilled your biological imperative to pass on your genes if you got the chance or desire, and then, in time, you went the way of all flesh. When that happened, your awareness just winked out like a flame.

If you lived on at all, it was as atoms from your decaying body and the caloric energy it had contained being dispersed into the world, the genetic stew that made up half of your offspring, and possibly through whatever works you'd brought about through your life's efforts. There was nothing after that terminal breath. Absolutely nothing.

A piercing feeling of disappointment and frustrated anguish seemed to stab Wu's heart at that last thought. He'd failed to leave a legacy, genetic or otherwise. Goddamn Hammond and his insistence on secrecy!

Although he supposed the fact that he'd graduated from Stanford and worked under the brilliant Norman Atherford was something, at least, that he could look back with pride on.

And the brutal fact was that it was much too late now, to change what could've- _should've_ -been.

Thoughtfully, Wu made himself turn his attention back to the clothes on the ornate chair. He nearly broke into wild laughter as the thought crossed his mind whether this was a Buddhist or Christian heaven. Would he be brought before God or the Jade Emperor? Maybe he'd see Sun Wukong, the famously naughty yet powerful and fearless shapeshifting Monkey King. That would be interesting.

Either way, the clothing put out for their newest resident struck him as rather mundane and curious. White linen robes or ones of red silk with little three-clawed dragons (symbolizing his status as a commoner among inhabitants of the Chinese model of Heaven) and characters emblazoned on them would seem much more fitting then these regular everyday clothes. But Wu decided to work with what he was given as he slid out from underneath the comforter and placed his feet on the pleasantly smooth marble floor, standing up.

For a few long moments, Henry Wu just stood there naked, sadly and dumbly regarding the scarred reminders of his murderers, the way he'd died, which now decorated his body.

Wasn't a person supposed to be made whole and flawless again in Heaven? If that was true, someone had forgotten the memo in his particular case.

The shallow puncture wounds and cuts from the claws on his wrists and forearms. The line on his stomach from where his own entrails had spilled out like pink snakes. The puckered crater in his thigh. The slashes and tooth marks in his shoulder.

The raptors had fucked him up good in his last moments of life, put him through excruciating agony like he'd never known, and Wu suddenly bowed his head, closing his eyes and giving a visceral shudder of terror and fear at the memory.

And once more, the thought of all he'd done as a scientist and a man, had intended to do in the future, had been looking forward to with such patience and excitement, seemed to slam down over his shoulders, nearly sending him to the floor as hot tears of self-pity and regret began to spill from his eyes.

Wu forced himself to get a grip on his emotions. He had the strange feeling that someone was waiting for him to leave this room, and whether that someone was the Jade Emperor or God, Wu decided he had too much self-respect to appear in front of Him naked and crying like a child.

So he put on the clothes, strapped on the sandals, and placed the wallet in his pocket almost automatically, although he was somewhat baffled why he was being given such a thing in heaven.

Carefully, not knowing what to expect, he walked up to the wooden door, painted red with white trim. Its handle was appropriately made of dark green jade. Wu reached out and grasped it, pulling it down. It struck him that the door handle was rather big, and not really made for human hands.

He frowned as he somewhat warily-although really, who was going to hurt him in heaven?-opened the door and stepped into a wide, vaulted hallway.

It was a grand sight, also floored with marble, the walls a dazzling white, with the ceiling painted sky blue, even filled with floating clouds. The first thought that came to Wu's mind was how huge it was. The hallway was a good twenty yards wide, and the distance from floor to ceiling was perhaps thirty, forty feet.

The room he'd just stepped out of was at the end of this hall.

Wu drew in his breath. "Yu Huang Shangdi!" he cried, addressing The Jade Emperor by name.

"I am here!" he proclaimed in Cantonese. "Are any of your servants around to receive me?" he asked hopefully, looking about and feeling somewhat foolish. No response.

An inner voice seemed to speak back from within Wu.

 _We are glad to have you_ , it seemed to say. _Just keep walking down the hall._

Mentally shrugging, Wu did just that, sandals slapping against the marble as he walked. Eighty feet away and directly down the hall was a door. As he got closer, Wu saw that there was something written on it, in symbols that he figured were letters-but no letters like he'd ever seen. They certainly weren't Chinese or Japanese characters. He frowned. Did heaven have its own special language now?

He grabbed the steel handle, and twisted it.

When the door opened and he stepped inside, Wu stopped, dumbstruck. From the long isolated counters, the beakers, strange-looking but recognizable microscopes, the flashing and scrolling computer monitors which displayed numbers and letters like nothing he'd ever laid eyes on, Henry Wu knew exactly what he was looking at as a scientist himself. An excited kinship swelled up inside him.

He was looking at a strange, inhuman laboratory. And he knew he certainly liked the idea of being back in one, even as a visitor.

But why would there be a scientific lab in heaven?

Light poured in from three large windows.

Mind racing, Wu suddenly remembered tales from his childhood, of heavenly beings working on creating potions for immortality. Could this be one of these places where they did their work?

And then he heard a gentle, light crackling.

Wu turned his head to the right…and saw a strange, van-sized machine, covered in monitors from which blue-white electricity crackled and sizzled in thin whips.

"You're kidding me," Wu said in disbelieving shock. He knew he'd seen this machine before somehow, at least twice.

But _how_ did he know that? And where had he seen it?

Then, it all came flooding back to him, the pieces rearranging themselves in his mind like a puzzle.

Wu's mouth dropped open as he said in a hushed voice, "My God, it was all real. All of it. Oh my God. Oh my God." He felt himself becoming shaky. If this was heaven, _what_ was the M.I.N.D. Machine doing here?

Behind him, Wu then suddenly heard another door to the lab open.

"It isn't heaven, although many of our world's inhabitants feel it to be very much like that concept," a voice spoke then in recognizable Cantonese.

Startled, Wu whipped around so fast he nearly fell as he tensed up. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. After all, he'd been listening to that voice come out of his mouth all his life.

He found himself looking into the eyes of a sort of dwarf Iguanodon, although it was still twice his height. Unlike the one he'd been trapped in for three days, there were some other rather striking differences about this particular Iggy. Instead of being placed on the sides of its head, its eyes faced forward, like something out of a cartoon. It also stood in a far more erect posture, with a locked back and radically shortened tail, only about two feet long.

All of the fingers on its hands were free, the deadly thumb spike now replaced by a human-like opposable thumb, giving this humanized Iguanodon two opposable digits on each hand. The three-toed feet remained the same, however, and Wu could see a beak behind the dinosaur's disconcertingly human lips.

Last but not least, the Iggy was wearing a yellow robe with blue spirals and borders.

Beside it stood an equally anthropomorphized Deinonychus, wearing a rose robe with dark green triangles and borders. It had feathers, and was only slightly smaller than its prehistoric counterparts.

Wu's jaw dropped open in disbelief as his spine became a narrow line of ice, eyes widening in horror and incomprehension.

He screamed then, a piercing, ringing sound that rang through the inhuman lab and smote, echoed off the walls of the lab as he desperately backpedaled, looking for a beaker, a microscope, anything he could hurl at these insane humanized dinosaurs. It also occurred to Wu that maybe this wasn't heaven after all.

"No," the Deinonychus said simply, also in Cantonese. "This world is, for lack of a better term, called the Dinoverse."

"Be at peace, Dr. Henry Wu," the Iguanodon spoke. "While your fear is understandable, especially in light of your last few minutes in your existence, we promise we mean you no harm."

"We are a peaceful race of creatures," the Deinonychus added, nodding. Its voice seemed female, as far as Wu could tell.

Wu was shocked. How did this strange creature possibly know his name? And what was the Dinoverse?

But it also did seem that both sapient dinosaurs seemed benevolent enough, gentle and with no ill intentions. Indeed, Wu got the impression that they almost overflowed with an incredible, awesome serenity and inner peace, that they were like Buddhist monks, spiritual warriors to the core.

"Why do you think I know your name?" the Iguanodon inquired calmly, in a gentle figure-it-out-for-yourself tone. Wu could not believe that a dinosaur was talking to him like a person.

He was also astonished. Could the dinosaur actually read his mind?

"No," the Iguanodon replied. "I can't read your mind, but we think in a very similar manner."

"And you mammals have always had such wonderfully expressive faces," the Deinonychus added, although Wu noted that this strange pair had the disconcerting ability to be surprisingly emotive themselves in the face.

"Why do you think I know your name, Henry?" the Iguanodon patiently asked him again.

Wu didn't know. Then the incredible answer came to him, and he stumbled back.

"Because you _are_ me," Wu said tremblingly, starting to shake as he looked up into the dinosaur's eyes. "We-we're one and the same, deep down. It certainly explains why you're speaking to me in fluent Cantonese."

"Correct," the Iguanodon nodded. "I am, for all intents and purposes, the equivalent of you in this world, the Dinoverse."

 _Oh my God_.

"Why do you ask if you already know the answer?" the Deinonychus commented simply. It occurred to Wu that he'd read that profound line in a novel somewhere. Ah yes, Sphere. By Michael Crichton, the same man who in other universes, had evidently written him as a character in another novel called Jurassic Park. When Norman went into the titular alien object.

A sudden urge to just burst out laughing, wild and shrill, welled up within Wu at the thought, and he doubled over, making choked huffing sounds as he fought the impulse. He knew that if he gave in, the hysterical laughter wouldn't stop.

"Tosawi, could you be so kind as to get our guest a chair?" the Iguanodon asked his Deinonychus colleague.

"Right on it," Tosawi chirped, trotting off a few feet to get one of the elegant wooden chairs, made of black wood, which ringed the lab counters, grasping the sides with her four-fingered hands and raising the chair up into the air.

 _What is going on here?_ Wu thought, dumbfounded.

"Oh, it's the truth, believe me," the Iguanodon assured him. "Names have power, so let us speak of ours before we tell you about why you are here, what this place is, and what our ultimate intention for you is."

"All right. Although I'll be struck blind if I can wrap my mind around this madness."

"My Deinonychus colleague, as I'm sure you've already surmised, is named Tosawi."

"It means silver brooch in Comanche," she chimed in.

"And I am Loong Fuchan," the Iguanodon then said.

Everything seemed to stop for a moment as Wu inhaled deeply in pure shock once more. It was just as well that Tosawi arrived then with the chair, a down cushion upholstered with tawny cloth on its seat, for Wu then tilted back and sat down in it. Hard.

"Seems to me you left him kind of speechless," Tosawi commented playfully as she glanced at the other dino-scientist.

And Wu had pretty good reason to be.

"Loong Fuchan," he said in astonishment. "Tha-that's the Cantonese name my parents gave me. It means 'dragon's father,'" he added unnecessarily.

"And a supremely fitting, prophetic name it was," Loong Fuchan replied. "Now do you see? That I am the mirror image of you in this universe?"

Wu nodded mechanically. "Are you a doctor of genetics as well?" he inquired.

"Oh, certainly," Loong Fuchan confirmed. "But that isn't important right now," he said.

"First," Tosawi began as she got in front of him, "to understand what this place is and where you are…well, if you feel in any condition for it, just stand up and walk to the window."

Wu nodded, and shakily stood up, doing just that, Tosawi opening it for him.

He clasped the sill tightly as he looked out onto a surreal, fantastic world of sentient dinosaurs walking on cobblestone streets, lined by sidewalks of marble, jasper, and other beautiful polished stone.

Tree ferns, flowering bushes and trees, grasses and short conifers grew lush in thirty foot deep belts between the sidewalks and the gleaming, shining buildings with rose into the air, and were built in an architecture that although pleasing to Wu's eyes, was nothing like any human culture he'd ever seen. For one thing, the dinosaurian builders of this metropolis seemed to have a real fondness for arches and ovals, circles and spirals and rounded off cones.

Stylized dinosaurs, pterosaurs, birds and plants were rendered everywhere, in stone, paint, metal and pottery.

And the real things were also everywhere, walking around in colorful, ornate robes as they went about their lives, few of them giants like their ancestors, but still exhibiting all the wonderful diversity of their order. Many walked erect like people on two legs, shortened tails waving or flicking, while others walked on all fours-but Wu got the impression that like apes, they could also stand up and walk on their hind legs perfectly fine if they so chose.

All of them had features which Wu would've expected from any intelligent race of entities and technologically advanced civilization. Forward facing eyes, even in the case of the herbivores, to precisely judge position and location of objects. Large, unnaturally bulging braincases. Hands with at least one opposable digit that could pick up and finely manipulate objects, or in the case of some dinos he was seeing below him, tools that allowed them to do this. Others seemed, like parrots or dolphins, to be equally adept at using their beaks and mouths to handle objects! The ability to make and use tools. A written language to pass down information.

Fragrant odors filled the air, produced both by the plants and the dinosaurs themselves. It struck Wu that the heady smells of the dinosaurs weren't just being produced arbitrarily, but were also powerful pheromones, ones that the sapient dinosaurs were using as a second form of communication among each other.

Through the air came the occasional odd, thrumming sensation, one that reminded Wu of the way the air shook in one's body when you stood near an organ being played, or an active construction site.

He realized then what it was. _Infrasound_ , he thought. These dinosaurs use infrasound as a third method of sophisticated communication! Right on its heels, he understood then that some of the pulses of infrasound he was hearing had a mechanical quality to them, a distinct rhythm.

Music! These advanced dinosaurs found beauty in both scents and infrasound, using it to create their own unique kind of music!

"Yes," Toswai said from behind him, sensing his thoughts. "Ultrasonic music, too."

A line from the song Pure Imagination, from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, came to Henry Wu then as he regarded the dinosaurian civilization below him with abject awe, some of its inhabitants peaceably lying in the sun or eating foliage in the green belts.

It had also burst into his head when he'd seen that first priceless live hatching take place in his lab six years ago, a baby Triceratops tumbling out into the world for the first time in 65 million years.

 _Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of pure imagination. Take a look, and you'll see, into your imagination._ And then: _What we'll see will defy-explanation! If you want to view, paradise, simply look around and view it. Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world? There's nothing to it._

"That's exactly right," Loong Fuchan assured him. "The Dinoverse is a blissful, wonderful place. We have machines that can create anything one can wish or ask for, do virtually anything."

 _Do virtually anything…_

"That's why I found human clothes in my room then," Wu replied. "You made them with your machines just for me."

"Exactly," Toswai said.

Wu tore himself away from the window and wheeled to face the pair.

"What is this Dinoverse place?" he asked sharply. "Why did you bring me here? Did your machines somehow capture my mind as I died, and then put it in a new body you cloned for me?"

Loong Fuchan gestured back at the chair. "You may as well get yourself comfortable, Henry," he advised. "While we tell you all the answers...and then offer you a future."

Dutifully, Wu did just that, never taking his eyes off them.

"We all know I said this already, but how did this Dinoverse-creatures like you!-possibly come to be?!"

"We'll tell you," Loong Fuchan softly replied.

* * *

 **Because I am too lazy to italicize or use other qualifiers-and certainly know next to nothing about the language proper-just take my word for it that virtually every part of the conversation between Henry and the dino-scientists is spoken in Cantonese. Yes, they could've just as easily used English, but they both chose to speak to Wu in his culturally "native" tongue as a gesture of respect to their fellow scientist.**

 **As what the Dinoverse is, and what Wu's purpose is having been yanked there...well, that's for next chapter. You'll just have to stand the insanity. ;)**

 **As always, reviews are very appreciated.**


	45. Chapter 45

**Getting close to the end now...**

* * *

 **Wu.**

"As all properly educated beings know," Loong Fuchan began, "we live in a vast, probably infinite labyrinth of universes, a multiverse filled with possibilities and alternate realities."

Wu nodded. "I'm familiar with that Many-Worlds theory. And now I'm one of the few human beings to have actually seen the proof for myself," he wryly smiled as he looked back over at the sizzling M.I.N.D. Machine.

"In yours," Loong Fuchan said, "65 million years ago, a great asteroid, the size of the largest mountain on your planet, collided with the Earth in what your species calls the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico."

 _Mount Everest,_ Wu thought. _Or Manhattan._

"Yes, the Alvarez impact theory," he replied. "Postulated by Walter and Luis Alvarez on the basis of unusually high concentrations of the heavy metal iridium in end-Cretaceous sediments, as well as shocked quartz granules, tektites, and microspheres of glass. I wasn't aware that the impact site was in the Yucatan however," he added in interest. "It makes sense though, considering that the tektites and shocked quartz are most abundant in deposits from the Caribbean area."

"The impact shattered, vaporized both the asteroid and hundreds of your cubic miles of stone, flinging it into your earth's atmosphere, heating the very air to incandescence for several hours as red-hot stones and other ejecta fell back to earth, setting off massive wildfires, while the shock waves triggered violent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions."

Loong Fuchan paused, hanging his head with great sadness as he went on.

"Naturally, during those terrible first several hours before the planet's atmosphere began to cool at last, any living creatures who couldn't take shelter burned to death, were roasted alive…including most dinosaurs."

"Some did manage to make it through of course, as buried eggs, lucky individuals who had the presence of mind and luck to seek shelter in a cave, or were in an area experiencing heavy rainfall or snow when the asteroid hit. But they were soon finished off by longer-term effects of the great collision."

"Like global dimming," Wu replied. "And severe genetic bottlenecks, inability to find mates, things like that."

"Exactly," Loong Fuchan said gravely. "Only the birds survived to carry on our glorious legacy."

"It didn't help that we were already in dire straits at that time," Toswai added. "There was a high degree of volcanic activity occurring at the time as well, producing toxins, changing the climate, harming vegetation…"

"And the asteroid was the deathblow," Wu said knowingly. "But in this strange other version of earth, the killer asteroid missed by that much, and at least some of you non-avian dinosaurs pulled through."

"Yes," Loong Fuchan said. "We lived on. In time, some of us evolved high intelligence."

"And it was us maniraptors who were the first!" Toswai declared proudly in glee.

"In time though, _all_ dinosaurs became intelligent beings. We became civilized too, abandoning our base aggressive tendencies, our greed, transformed ourselves into a wise and philosophical race, bettering the world around us and our condition. A thousand years ago, we were also able to extract the DNA of our forefathers and clone them, which is why you see dinosaurs from all different time periods coexisting."

"Well, it looks to me like you've done a superb job," Wu replied. "I was convinced this place was heaven for a reason when I awoke here, after all. And I still feel that way. But how did I get here? And why?"

Loong Fuchan just gave him an otherworldly, peaceful smile. "Why do you ask if you already know the answer?"

Wu's mind raced. "You used your own M.I.N.D. Machine to capture my soul, awareness, whatever you'd call it after I died in my world, right? Then you kept it in some sort of stasis, I suppose, while you somehow got my actual corpse from the park in my world, brought it here, and fixed it, healed it, until it was healthy and functioning. Then it was lights back on for Dr. Wu."

"Your guess about your consciousness was correct," Loong Fuchan replied. "But not your flesh-and-blood body. What the pair of the very raptors you cloned did to it can never be undone. But I am a geneticist too, keep in mind," he hinted, before Wu could say anything.

Overwhelmed by the idea, Wu felt a chill go through his body-his cloned body!-as he suddenly glanced down at his thighs, his stomach, felt his heart beat, felt and patted his ribs, his face, his thick hair, his shoulders, his collarbones.

It couldn't be! Everything felt right, normal, like the skin he'd been in all his life.

"You mean to tell me…" he said lowly, struggling to accept and understand, "that I'm living in **_an identical twin_** of myself right now?!"

"Precisely," Loong Fuchan confirmed.

"What in fiery hell!" Wu shrieked as he leapt to his feet, staring at his hands, arms, then at both scientists. "But how? How did you get my DNA to do the procedure with? How did you grow and age this body to its early thirties?"

"I think you know where we got it," Toswai replied. "When you died in your universe, it was rather messy, let's just say. When Muldoon, knowing you were beyond help, shut the door to the Safari Lodge, and the raptors left you to chase Ellie-"

"She got away from them, didn't she?" Wu asked desperately. "Please tell me that my death served that much purpose, at least."

"She escaped successfully," Loong Fuchan assured him. "With some timely help from Harding."

Wu felt his new body sag back into the chair with relief. "Thank Christ. And thank you two in advance."

"Kindnesses are welcome," Tosawi smiled.

"At that moment," Loong Fuchan said, "when there would be no risk of being seen or attacked by the feral ones, we sent another brave scientist, a Compsognathus known as Kurt, there through with this, our own M.I.N.D. Machine, one far more advanced than the one created by Bertram Phillips. He used a scalpel to cut loose a piece of your muscle tissue…" The dinosaur let it hang.

"And then you had plenty of my DNA to work with."

"Yes," Tosawi confirmed. "We used an artificial womb, then all types of other complex treatments, to produce different clones of you, aging them with hormone treatments…until we achieved a result that was the mirror image of the one you were born to. We brought your consciousness out of stasis, sent it into that chosen body with the machine, and here you are."

"Well, thank you," Wu told them in breathless gratitude. "Thank all of you so much for giving me a second body and a second chance. But why is it scarred like this? Why does it look like I survived-my last moments, when my true body actually didn't?"

"It is wounded and scarred," Loong Fuchan replied, "because, as risky and illogical as it was, once we had several potential bodies ready, one of our colleagues deliberately, in the same clinical and exact way each time, inflicted the same wounds upon them with his natural weapons that the pair of raptors caused on you at your death. Which we then immediately treated, of course."

Wu felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck as he shot a fearful glance at Toswai.

"Not me," the Deinonychus said. "I'm too small for that. The colleague of ours who did it will be known later as an Achillobator in your world. You and the other people at the park called them Velociraptor because you knew no differently."

"My God!" Wu exclaimed in shock as he looked at the dinosaurs, then raised his T-shirt to look at the healed stomach slash, then at the dinosaurs again, voice low as he snapped, "What the hell was going on in your heads when you decided to do that?! You obviously had to understand how stupid and dangerous that was, that even with prompt medical attention, there was no guarantee the clones of me would survive that shock and trauma, so what possessed you to do such a thing?!"

"We know," Toswai said. "And indeed, we lost one good body from complications."

"But it was necessary," Loong Fuchan supplied, "for the scars are there to remind you for the rest of your days of the cost of being blind, of knowledge without wisdom, of not anticipating and respecting the power of the formidable and unfamiliar creatures your hand brought back into the world."

Anger flared up in Wu, although he knew the Iggy was right.

"Don't you dare start talking like Malcolm at me," he hissed angrily as he got to his feet. "Sorry to speak ill of the dead, but Nedry's the one who kicked off the great big clusterfuck by turning the power off to steal embryos, and Hammond set the entire stage for it by trying to be cheap with his billions, have everything he could be automated, run on computers with precious few experienced people to step in if something went wrong, not having effective, lethal weapons, thinking electric fences and other barriers would be enough to keep the dinosaurs contained, having the park located far out at sea where it's difficult to get assistance in any amount of time, and a whole lot of other things. I tried to warn him, Muldoon tried to warn him, Malcolm tried to warn him…but he just would not listen and use some common sense, thinking that the whole park, the whole system, was perfectly safe and sound, when it was anything but!"

"That may be so, that Hammond was primarily responsible for the disaster by his attitude and choices," Loong Fuchan replied as he met Wu's gaze, "but with all due respect to you Henry, disasters are made by the collective choices of many people, seldom just a few. There is always freedom to make decisions, and it also takes two to tango, as some of your species say."

Another flash of petulant rage welled up within Wu then-and suddenly he remembered something Patience had told him in regards to the same topic. _Stop thinking everything's peaches and cream, Henry, because it isn't._

Wu reluctantly mentally rolled back the carpet to look at what lay underneath. It made him slump in contriteness and shame. There were some things he'd turned away from, been too proud and confident about the animals he'd created to admit or take into account. And it had cost him his life.

Slowly, he looked back up at the Iguanodon, expecting to be chided or rebuked.

But Loong Fuchan's wise eyes were gentle and compassionate.

"There is no need for concern," he told him. "I have no desire for anything other than to help make you see. I wouldn't cause you any further anguish beyond what you've unintentionally brought on yourself."

But remorse and the understanding of his culpability still coursed through Wu's cloned veins. One thing that particularly stabbed at the geneticist was the thought of all the young dinosaurs he or another technician had put to sleep, killed, all because they didn't look the way he felt they should, act the way they should, conform to the expectations of visitors. And then there was his proposal of Version 4.4-which now, after having spent days in the body of a dinosaur himself, seemed to Wu disturbingly like The Final Solution of the Nazis.

He was astonished Tosawi and Loong Fuchan didn't despise him with a passion for such crimes against their fellow dinosaurs. He felt he certainly would have if he'd been in their place. Could they even hate at all?

"Oh, we can," Loong Fuchan said. "Any creature can. But to judge and hate is easy. Forgiving and understanding though, takes maturity and strength."

Wu nodded. "So," he said at length, "what are you going to do with me, now that you're given me a new, living body? Send me back to the island, I'd assume."

"No," Tosawi said regretfully, shaking her head. "There's no going back I'm afraid."

"And although Zane and Patience already told you, _this_ is a huge reason why," Loong Fuchan said.

Suddenly, Henry Wu found himself in a horrible vision, back on an Isla Nublar where chaos and destruction and slaughter reigned. Helicopters wheeled and shot over his head, the sound of their rotors astonishingly loud. Machine guns sputtered, the jackhammering of their bullets like thunder. Huge fireballs exploded into the air like falling suns as the island was carpet bombed. Dinosaurs-his dinosaurs!-roared and honked and screamed in agony and panic as the bullets remorselessly tore into their hides, were blown to pieces, lit on fire by napalm, their own flesh crisping and falling away. Another white flash, and Henry Wu saw the genetics lab vanish into shrapnel. Destroyed, along with all his hard-fought successes, the fruits of such exacting labors.

He squeezed his eyes shut. "No more, please! Just make it quit! Make it go away!" It felt as if his heart was being ripped from his chest, like he was seeing his own children being slaughtered.

As quickly as it had come, the horrible scene ended. Wu felt physically sick as he laid back in the chair, trembling and fighting back tears of anguish and loss and defeat.

Loong Fuchan approached him then, and placed his hand on Wu's scalp.

When the Iguanodon touched his skin, Wu suddenly felt the same serenity that filled the dinosaur's eyes, a profound compassion and sympathy, seem to come out of his soul, a stream that went directly into his own and soothed him.

He gave a shaky breath and looked up again as the Iggy backed away.

"It wasn't easy to have to show you that," Loong Fuchan said gently. "We knew it would induce terrible pain. But do you understand that you needed to see it for yourself?"

Wu gravely nodded. "No more future in any way, shape or form for me on Isla Nublar or with InGen."

"Nor anywhere else in your entire world," Toswai added. "And I think you know why, Henry."

He nodded.

"It is a very sad thing, about humans," Loong Fuchan said, "that all too often, they fear and hate and attack things and those that they don't understand."

Those were words that resonated deeply with Henry Wu. Being Chinese-American, he knew all too well something of what the dinosaur was talking about.

"Yes," he agreed sadly. "And if I was found alive anywhere back in my world…one way or another, the Costa Rican government would get a hold of me, and prosecute me to the fullest extent of the law. With Hammond dead, they'd unleash all their anger at what happened, the lies they'd been told, the irresponsibility they perceived in our actions, squarely on me. I'd be locked up for a long time, and probably never be able to find work in the genetics field again."

"There's no going back," Toswai repeated. "Only going forward."

"And that's why you find yourself here," Loong Fuchan said. "I know the questions you are asking, Henry. Why you? Why did we go to all this trouble? Why should we, in the Dinoverse, care whether you live or die? Why have **_you_** been spared?"

"They definitely crossed my mind," Wu admitted. Spooky, how much the dinosaur could tell about him.

"We're both selfish in our own way," Loong Fuchan said smoothly. "You signed on to Hammond's project because you wanted to make your mark, be respected and saluted among your fellow scientists, achieve what anyone else would say couldn't be done, and bring the fantastic, magnificent beasts which so enthralled you as a child back to life."

"Well, I certainly won't deny that," Wu admitted. "But what's in this for _you_ , by keeping me around?"

"Making you a means to an end. While it's too late for the dinosaurs you created on Nublar, what you did there, you can also do with the right support in another. You have a brilliant, beautiful mind, Henry. Too good and too valuable to be allowed to slip away forever into oblivion. And we here have need of it."

"You mean that you want me to serve you here, in the Dinoverse?"

"No," Toswai replied. "We want you to be the pivot point, the catalyst for the birth of a new world, one that marries both this one, and that of humans."

Wu looked at her in confusion. "But how-"

"Humans are a flawed species," Loong Fuchan said. "But there is so much potential in your race, so much light, so much that is worthy."

"And it is a true sadness that you have to live alone on your planet in your brilliance, a species that is unspeakably lonely in its cosmic solitude," Toswai said, commiserating.

"But you could change that, Henry," Loong Fuchan said. "You could bring dinosaurs back to life a second time, on another Earth…and then, in time, utilizing proper respect and care every step of the way, plant the seeds of a new Dinoverse in them, an intelligence which would flower into a world where two races of intelligent beings, human and uplifted dinosaur, live side by side as equals."

"So, you want me to play God for you. You want me to be like John the Baptist, working and preparing the way for the coming of this new kingdom you've envisioned with my petri dishes and syringes and pipettes and unfertilized chicken eggs."

"Yes. You see now?"

Wu was silent for a time.

"Right now, let's not count our intelligent dinosaurs before they've hatched," he said. "At this moment, I'm just delighted enough to still have any future at all before I start looking that far ahead."

"But I have some questions though. For one thing, what sort of alternate Earth are you planning to send me to, if I can't go back to my own?"

Loong Fuchan gave a soft smile. "Perhaps _that_ might ring a bell for you," he said, gesturing at the M.I.N.D Machine.

Wu immediately understood. _Where Wetherford is_ , he thought. It made perfect sense, and warmed him. He'd have an adult friend right away in Mr. London. He'd also have Will and Zane for company too. And of course, Patience.

"That's right," Toswai said. "Wetherford, Montana, whose high school, at the end, became a nexus between realities, a house of doors…at least, until one of our great scientists made everything right there again, and his own student counterpart became one with that great nexus, seeking to heal all the scarred realities."

Wu found himself blinking in incomprehension as he stared at the talking Deinonychus.

"May you live in interesting times indeed," he muttered. "Wow. Things most certainly haven't been dull there, that's plain to see. Now I almost want to go there just to find out more about the other insane things that happened."

"You're welcome to satisfy your curiosity then," Loong Fuchan replied, indicating the M.I.N.D Machine.

Wu decided to stand up and hesitantly, took a few steps toward it.

"All right. But-expecting me to just show up in Wetherford and take up where I left off…it's not that simple, guys. I'll need a roof over my head, a way to support myself, to rent a place and buy food, clothing, pay my bills, and all the other essentials."

"And to make things even more complicated, I'm going to be the legal equivalent of a ghost in the machine there. No birth certificate, no Social Security number, no driver's license, no fingerprint records, no-"

Wu was brought up short when he saw the faint smiles of amusement spread across the faces of both dinosaurs.

"What?" he said baffled. "I'm very grateful to be alive, I really am, but this still isn't a laughing matter. It could take me _years_ to sort all these problems out-years I'm sure you'd much rather see me using to make a second Jurassic Park a reality."

"Look in your wallet," Loong Funchan smiled.

Taking the black billfold of crocodile hide out of the right pocket of his shorts, Wu noted a distinct thickness, a stiffness underneath the leather.

The first thing he saw were stiff cards. Astonishment came over Wu as he looked at the first one. It had a dimmed background showing jungle-covered covered hills, and a great volcano spewing an umbrella of dark ash into a blue sky. His face looked back at him from the upper left. Below was his signature, printed and cursive. His Costa Rican driver's license. Looking at the expiration date, he saw with bafflement that it was marked as 5-16-2001. That was quite a bit farther into the future than the 1991 he'd been familiar with.

But then he remembered that the machine and their four companions had come from ten years into his future. It might be interesting to see how things had progressed since then, he supposed.

In the main pocket of the wallet, to Wu's astonishment, he saw cash too. Hundred-dollar bills, fifteen in all. That was probably enough to get by on until he could find himself a steady job. More than enough.

He looked up at them in amazement and confusion.

"We told you that the Dinoverse contains machines which can make nearly anything, didn't we?" Loong Fuchan said.

"They even produce lab-grown meat," Toswai added, "so that flesh-eaters like me don't need to kill or spill blood."

"As for the other documents you'll need," the Iguanodon added, "just look no further than that nearby chair."

Turning, Wu saw a thin briefcase sitting on other chair. He didn't need to be told to go open it and inspect the contents.

A birth certificate that gave his date of arrival on the blue planet as May 16th, 1970, not 1956. A forged high school diploma. A bogus undergraduate diploma. A perfect replica of his graduate degree from Stanford. And several blocks of fifty-dollar bills.

Wu couldn't help but grin. It was like something from a James Bond movie.

"I see you were nice enough to even shave off three years," he smiled in pleasure. "Are you certain that they'll hold up to scrutiny? I can't tell any obvious differences myself, but I'm sure there might be things an electronic scanner or something might pick up…"

"There aren't," Loong Fuchan replied. "We've tested them and been very exacting. You have no problems to worry about."

Wu nodded as he placed all the documents needed to begin a new adult life on a new earth back in the suitcase and shut it with a click, breathing deep as he grabbed the handle and turned to look at the machine, then at the dinosaur scientists.

"Well," he said acceptingly, a bit nervously, "I suppose this is the part where you show me the door and we bid adieu. Not that I have any other choice in the matter."

"You are _always_ free to choose," Toswai said gently. "That thought is a deeply alarming one…but also very beautiful."

"But you really should be going, yes," Loong Fuchan said. "Not just to finish your story and fulfill the task we hope you'll undertake on our behalf one day, but also for your own sake. As exhilarating and peaceful and extraordinary as the Dinoverse may be…humans like you need the touch, voice, and companionship of their own kind."

Wu nodded in understanding. It was time to surrender himself to the machine.

"Yes. Thank you. Both of you. I'll never forget this, how you took the time and the effort and I'm sure, a good deal of money to give me a second chance, the destiny I deserve, the chance to get to the finish line. I'll never take it for granted, I promise."

He then gratefully extended his free right hand to both of them.

Toswai and Loong Fuchan glanced at his proffered hand, surprised, then at each other, visibly baffled.

"Don't you dinosaurs ever shake hands?"

Loong Fuchan grunted a negative. "We're fully aware that humans engage in that custom, but no, we don't shake hands."

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Wu smiled as he offered it to the Iguanodon.

Timidly, Loong Fuchan reached out, looking into Wu's eyes as the geneticist felt the scaly digits of the dinosaur's hand wrap around his own.

He formally pumped it three times. The Iguanodon's forward-facing eyes widened with delight, and his beak opened in a grin.

"Toswai," he told his colleague, "this is amazing! You can feel the utter trust and good will he expresses with this act! It's delightful!"

The Deinonychus made herself do the same, carefully making sure not to hurt Wu with her hand claws as he grasped her feathered wrist and shook twice.

They got an even better joyful new experience when Henry Wu then hugged each of them in pure gratitude, a depth of thankfulness and jubilation no amount of words could accurately delve into.

And now he was as ready as he could make himself, clutching the suitcase handle tightly as he faced the machine. The idea was both terrifying and invigorating.

Was he strong enough to do this? Could he stand being cast so utterly off from everything he'd come to love and know?

"You'll be strong enough," Loong Fuchan assured him. "The wonderful thing about us frail, mortal creatures is that we're so much tougher than we look."

"We have to be," Wu replied simply.

"But that's also exactly why life finds a way," Toswai said profoundly.

He thought of all the people he'd miss, the people he'd leave behind, never see again. His mother. His father. His brother and sisters. His friends from elementary school, high school, college, graduate school, the people he'd directed and worked with, hung out with, at Jurassic Park.

It was a hard and bitter pill to swallow.

But his parents, he was sure, would understand, if they could only know about this momentous decision. In both Buddhism and Taoism, a person became better, wiser, more enlightened and spiritually powerful by learning to let go, to rid themselves of attachments and boldly striding forward into the promise of the future with determination and hope.

"This may be asking a lot," Wu said quietly, not turning around as he addressed both the dinosaurian scientists. "But if you can, could you somehow influence things so that my remains-the body I was born to-get a dignified send-off and resting place? He-we-suffered terribly at the end."

"We'll do what we can," Loong Fuchan promised him.

Once more, Henry Wu looked intently at the gateway, the upgraded machine that was patiently awaiting his will and surrender.

He longingly held the faces and voices of family and friends in his mind for a time, affectionately regarding each one. He'd miss them immensely.

But then he thought of the future waiting for him, one where he wouldn't be entirely alone. He thought of Zane. Of Will. Of Robert London. And of Patience, whose life had intertwined with his in friendship, and then familial love.

For some reason, a snatch of the song Zane had been singing with Nedry after the drenching rains had finally quit came to him then: _Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me._

As if to give him that final extra helping of reassurance, Wu then received a sort of stream of knowledge that seeped into him from his Iguanodon alter ego.

While the dinosaurs on Nublar were dead, the ones on Sorna, Site B, wouldn't be found. Six years later, Ian Malcolm would come to that island, with Sarah Harding, Eddie Carr, Jack Thorne, and two children, Arby Benton and Kelly Curtis, to rescue a man named Richard Levine. Another group from BioSyn would too though, led by Lewis Dodgson himself.

Malcolm and most of his group, except for Eddie, would survive their adventure of Sorna with its dinosaurs, sailing to the safety of the mainland in a boat, with the island's radio and wireless network being tapped into by their own equipment so that they could later study the dinosaurs remotely.

Three months later, in a calculated group decision, knowing that the Costa Rican military was turning up the heat in their search for the place where the dinosaur bodies were coming from, Levine and Malcolm would make a preemptive declaration, an announcement to the world about Isla Sorna and the once-vanished, awe-inspiring giants that were calling it home. And the human race would know, that the fantasy once hidden and rumored about was actually real, giving a collective cry of delight and excitement.

Red-faced but pragmatic, the Costa Rican government would have no choice but to play the wallflower, and later, in response to some major diplomatic and international arm-twisting, backed up by innumerable pleas and petitions, designate Isla Sorna as a research preserve with limited tourism access.

In the ruins of the labs, people would find print outs, files, photos, floppy disks, Post-It notes, and other abundant evidence to bear testimony of what had been done on both islands to bring the magnificent terrible lizards in all their grandeur and diversity back from oblivion, and that the architect of the great miracle had a name which would become immortal: Dr. Henry Wu. Even though it would be posthumous in that world, he would've made his mark, achieved respect.

Wu found himself giving a serene smile. Now it was time to do it in a second world, one where he'd still be around to see it come to fruition, enjoy and revel in the results first hand.

 _Life's like a movie, write your own ending, keep believing, keep pretending._

But all that really didn't seem to matter much anymore. Now, Wu knew that it was ultimately so much better to just be alive, to feel one's heart beating, to stand in the sunlight, to see and touch, to draw breath and feel hot and cold, pleasure and pain. And to experience love.

He knew someone would be waiting on the other side who already loved him.

 _I've always wanted a dad, Henry._

"I'm ready," he told the M.I.N.D. machine in Cantonese. It understood.

Tendrils of blue-white lightning reached out as he clutched the suitcase's handle in an iron grip. They encircled him, flowed through his body, pulled it toward the epicenter as the machine formed the lightning into a corridor of blinding royal blue light. Wu didn't fight it. He'd given the device permission, and it would do the rest.

He closed his eyes and tensed as his body met the light-

For several seconds, the electric hurricane of the machine was abruptly no more. For a few, surpassingly peaceful moments, Wu found himself standing on the African savanna, the sky completely covered in black clouds from which rain poured down, but no drops touched him. Before him was a great herd of elephants, grazing, trumpeting in joy, swinging their trunks, embracing their calves and herd mates, rolling and kicking in the wet dirt on their sides. It was a place filled with their gentle, comforting rumbles, the sweet smells of rain and grass and the elephants, the darkness of the clouds pierced by several brilliant fingers of light, in some of which rainbows shone.

Wu never forgot the wild bliss and joy that leapt up inside him at that moment, nor the certainty that he was seeing in the elephants the type of creatures human beings could be, if only they'd cast aside their pettiness and primitive, low impulses of anger, mistrust and greed, a picture of the world that his dinosaurian counterpart wanted him to see, a universe where there was dazzling light and hope behind the darkness, countering it….couldn't he see it through the gaps in the clouds, in the rainbows?

Then he was gone, to another place in a multiverse full of possibilities.

* * *

 **Once more, just take my word for it that all three of our scientists here are speaking in Cantonese throughout this chapter.**

 **Just three chapters left until the finish!**


	46. Chapter 46

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! While I know those last two chapters taking place in the Dinoverse were as WAFH, I had it planned out that way from the start, with the intent of finding a way to give both Henry and Patience happy endings. :)**

* * *

 **Wu**.

Wu's stomach seemed to drop as he found himself flying through the blue vortex, spiraling upward in great loops towards an expanding yellow light. Unlike the first three times the machine had captured his soul, he was keenly aware of his mass, his weight as his body was propelled through the conduit.

He found himself bursting into a warm, cloudless late spring afternoon. Still holding the handle of the briefcase painfully tightly, Wu dropped to his knees in the lush green grass and dandelions with a gasp. He looked around, assessing where he was.

He was in a town park. Green-painted wooden benches. Planters of beautiful flowers. A pond. A swing set, dome-shaped jungle gym, slide, and two rocking horses in a sand-floored child's play area. Two water fountains, one plain, the other inside a resin sculpture of a tyrannosaurus head painted brown with white teeth and a crimson mouth. Shade trees.

Sharp gasps. Seventy-five feet away, a homeless, bearded man in his late forties, rummaging through a trash can for cans or bottles to exchange for cash, and a pregnant woman who'd been reading a paperback by Dean Koontz on a bench forty feet away, goggled at Wu like deer caught in headlights before leaping to their feet and running at top speed from the man who'd just stepped out of a glowing portal in the air, the woman giving a sharp cry of confusion and fear.

But Wu really didn't bother to care that they'd seen him as he let go of the briefcase and just fell on his chest in the grass, embracing the ground, smelling the dirt, the grass, listening to the Star Wars trills of the chipping sparrows, the high whinnies of the robins, the light breeze that blew. He reveled like he never had before in the way the warm sun felt against his skin, the air surrounding him, the mass of his body, the sensation of his heart beating in his chest, of taking in life sustaining breaths again and again, even the nearby sounds of car engines as his slender body quivered in elation and gratitude.

Rolling onto his back, he looked up at the blue sky, the yellow disc of the sun, the swallows and dragonflies which darted overhead. To say that Henry Wu had never been happier to be alive, delirious with joy to have been granted such a miracle, would still be understating things.

On the off chance Loong Fuchan and Toswai might still be observing, Wu raised his head and gave a beyond heartfelt "Goi!" up at the sky.

Wu laid on his back like that for several minutes, simply drinking everything in, smiling like he'd just reunited with old friends.

Then, sitting back up, he just spent a few more minutes marveling at the sweetness and beauty that should've been taken away from him forever, at the flowering crabapple trees, the flowers in their beds and planters, the bees that buzzed among the blossoms, the spruces and oaks and firs and pines planted throughout the park.

Reluctantly, he decided he should really start thinking now about getting his bearings and planning what to do next. As wonderful as this park was, he didn't want to be spending the first night of the rest of his life sleeping in it, for one thing. Going to the plain water fountain, he pressed the bar down and drank deep to quench himself. No drink of water had ever been so wonderful.

Winston Park was eighteen acres in size, and picking the nearest walking trail, it didn't take long for Wu, briefcase in hand, to come across a small parking lot.

A single gold sports car was parked there. Its owner, a short, stocky young man in his late twenties wearing a pale yellow dress shirt and dark brown pants, sat nearby on a bench, drinking a bottle of green Gatorade as his head and black wingtip shoes bobbed to the music transmitted through the headset arching over his skull, topped with sandy-blond hair.

As Wu approached him, the other man noticed him and took off the headphones, pressing pause.

For a few long seconds, the blue eyes scanned Wu up, then down in evident interest and surprise before thoughtfully returning to his face.

Wu got the impression that for this particular man, living as he did in a rural Montana town, people of Asian ethnicity like him were rather rare birds around here, to say the least.

But he seemed congenial enough as he lightly smiled and said, "Can I help you at all?"

"Yes. Any chance you know where Wetherford High School is? I've heard there's a teaching job available there," he lied.

The stocky man laughed. "Sure! I must say though, you're pretty brave to stroll over and apply for a teaching position at that place, with all the crazy-ass stuff and problems that've been happening there of late."

Wu already knew very well what the man was talking about, but he feigned ignorance as he asked, "Problems? What sort of problems?"

"Oh, they've had three different incidents where the electrical wiring has gone all wonky, and then suddenly began firing off these almighty jolts of electricity, striking down students and one of the teachers."

"Oh my God."

The stocky man nodded knowingly. "Yeah. And whenever the maintenance workers and county have done an investigation of the matter, they've always claimed that everything in the wiring has checked out normal. But we've still had two of these incidents within the past two weeks. It's the damnedest thing."

 _Two?_ Wu thought as his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"That's certainly quite odd," he agreed.

"Heh, tell me about it. And what's even weirder," the stocky man said in a conspiratorial tone as he glanced about, then leaned slightly forward, even as amusement curved his lips, "there's these wild rumors going around that at least some of the students who've been zapped by these discharges claim to have been temporarily trapped for a few days in prehistoric times, in the bodies of actual dinosaurs!" He broke out laughing.

So did Wu, although underneath the façade, he was sorely tempted to say, _Oh, if you only knew, my friend._ "Quite the story!" he smiled, laughing.

"I know, right?" the stocky man chuckled. "But to quote Dave Barry, I'm not making this up. The kids sincerely believe it happened to them."

"Anyway," he told Wu, "to get to the high school, just walk three blocks to your right, down Black Kettle Avenue. That will lead you to 7th Street. Turn your feet left, walk two blocks, and you'll come across Wetherford's Main Street. Turn left and walk for three-quarters of a mile, and then you'll see the high school right across the road, not far from the edge of town."

"I see," Wu nodded. "Thank you."

"My pleasure. Say, before you go, what's your name, if I may ask?"

"It's Henry. Henry Wu."

"So you must be Chinese then?"

"Chinese-American."

The stocky man nodded. "My name starts with an H too. Harvey," he said, grinning as he extended his right hand. "Harvey Blakemore."

Wu took it and quickly shook. So wonderful, to still be able to feel the touches of other human beings.

"Nice to meet you, Harvey."

"Same to you, Henry. Hope you get that teaching job."

"And don't find myself in the body of a Triceratops," Wu grinned, an ironic smile gracing his lips.

Harvey laughed. "Yeah, now there'd be a case of workman's comp for ya!"

They separated, and Wu followed Harvey's directions, making his way towards Main Street and the future.

When Loong Fuchan had told him he'd be starting his second life in Wetherford, a Montana town, Wu had presumed it would be like something out of the TV show Bonanza, or a Clint Eastwood movie perhaps.

But it turned out to be somewhat more modern than that, with your typical two-story suburban houses-although many were certainly older buildings-on their three acre plots of land with wooden and vinyl siding, painted in different colors with their sidewalks and garages, dogs in kennels or on chains, tricycles and other toys for children sitting out on the lawns.

Main Street however, laid bare a lot more of the town's pioneer past, with all the buildings built of brick, with recessed windows and the names of their businesses displayed in a distinct "Western-type" font.

He went into one of them, a Wells Fargo bank, and had the teller make one of the hundred dollar bills into twenties. Like Harvey had, the teller, her employee pin proclaiming her name to be Samantha, couldn't help but glance at him for a few seconds in curiosity. Wu suspected there were probably less people of Asian ethnicity in this town then he could count on his digits. He also decided to be proactive and have an account made in his name.

As he went through the procedure, he glanced up at the dial of the clock. 2:10 PM.

"Do you know at all," he asked Samantha, "when school gets out around here? The high school, specifically."

"At 3:15," she replied. "Why do you want to know? You need to pick someone up?"

"No. I'm just new in town, and heard that there's a job available there. And walking in during class hours or loitering around the building wouldn't be appropriate…and indeed, probably be seen as cause for concern."

The teller nodded. "Oh yeah, you bet it would. With all the school shootings and bomb threats and other horrible things that've been going on during the past few years in this country, everyone's so on edge now about having strangers going anywhere _near_ a school building or just looking 'suspicious' during class hours. The fact that we've had _three_ incidences of the school's electricity going on the fritz and electrocuting students, sending the poor dears into comas for several minutes, doesn't help the atmosphere of tension either," she added. "You can read all about it in one of those papers there," he told him, pointing behind Wu and to his right at a wire basket rack eight feet away, filled with copies of The Wetherford Bulletin.

"Cause of latest high school power surge as yet undetermined," Wu read thoughtfully from where he stood. "Over two dozen students hit by discharges."

"Yes-siree. It's pretty weird."

 _And one geneticist from an alternate universe added to the town's population_ , he thought in abject amusement.

Bidding Samantha goodbye, Wu took one of the papers on his way out.

Feeling hungry, he looked about for anywhere to eat when he stepped back out into the Montana spring sun.

There was a Quizno's Subs a block away, and since he was traveling in that direction anyhow, he decided to stop in and buy something. Wu bought a foot-long toasted peppercorn steak sub with mozzarella and sautéed onions on wheat bread and a bottle of Minute Maid orange juice, then continued on his way.

When he reached the high school, knowing better than to potentially cause alarm by boldly strolling right up to the place, Wu stayed on the other side of the street. There was a metal bench nearby, not far from the main crosswalk, facing the bus lane, and he sat down there to wait.

He ate about two-thirds of the steak sub, relishing the taste, the gift of every bite as he watched a pair of ravens glide and circle in the sky above him. Then, putting the rest aside for later, he unfolded the copy of The Wetherford Bulletin, and read more about the third spasm by the M.I.N.D. Machine which had forever changed his life as he waited for the students to be let out, fingers crossed that Will or Patience or Zane might see him. And now it had _**saved**_ his life as well.

* * *

 **Patience.**

The sound of the last bell for Monday blared through the room, and Patience sighed in relief as she grabbed her textbook and folder for Geometry, leaping to her feet with all the other students as her math teacher, Mrs. Tippett, said, "See you all tomorrow, folks! Remember, the final exam is on Thursday, so study that material hard!"

As Patience joined the herd of her fellow students and smoothly walked to her locker, Clint Schield fell into step alongside her.

"Hey Patience," he said. "Man, can you believe it's finally almost over? We're taking our final exams and busting outta here any day now-but doing it in the middle of June!"

She nodded. "Uh-huh. Yeah, it's sure been a crazy school year, all right. Between Bertram's M.I.N.D. machine going berserk at the science fair, to the way J.D.'s personality has totally changed, we've taken quite the trip down the rabbit hole."

"I know! Makes the head spin," he agreed. "Let's just hope there aren't any more 'incidents," he growled. "I just want to get these last few days _done_ and under the bridge without any further drama, and then be actually able to _finally_ cut footloose for a long-awaited summer break."

"My sentiments exactly. I don't think we'll get any more speed bumps though," Patience assured him.

"You never know. I hope you're right though," Clint muttered darkly as he turned away to head to his own locker. "Catch you tomorrow Patience."

"See yuh, Clint."

As she dialed in the three-number combination for her locker, opened it, and loaded up her indigo cloth backpack with her textbooks and folders, zipping it shut and hoisting it up onto her shoulders as she shut the door again, Patience's mind once more drifted back to all the insane things which had happened as a result of the machine, which was now finally gone, transported to an alternate version of the Jurassic Period in California, 150 million years ago.

While she hadn't had to endure the same experience a second time, Bertram had, this time finding himself in the body of a Dilophosaurus. In fact, the largest group of students ever had had their minds taken back in time and put into the bodies of a whole assortment of dinosaurs from different lands and time periods, with a Massospondylus from the Late Triassic of South Africa and a Maiasaura from the Mid-Cretaceous of this very state breathing the same air.

And then there'd been that thing with Will, the Dinoverse place, the kindly Brontosaurus scientist alter ego of the school bully, J.D. Harms, Aaron and Bertram having to go to two different worlds to bring Will and Mr. London back to this own one…

But of course, what would forever stick out most strongly to Patience personally, would be those three astonishing days trapped in and piloting the body of an Acrocanthosaurus, with three of the male characters from the Jurassic Park novel accompanying them.

Patience often wondered what had happened when the trio had been sent back to their bodies and time and world. Had Wu and Muldoon turned things around in the nick of time? Had Hammond been made to see reason before it was too late? Did they even remember the experience…or did it now just seem like a terribly weird dream to them?

The book was no help. A few days after being sent back, once her emotions had stabilized and she was mentally ready, Patience had first watched the movie version of Jurassic Park, testing the psychological waters, so to speak.

While it had previously generated feelings of either fear or self-satisfied, amused smugness, this time, seeing Nedry, as portrayed by Wayne Knight, being killed by the young, totally inaccurate Dilo had understandably deeply saddened her and made a hot lump form in her throat, fight back tears, even though she knew it was just a robot dino and an actor interacting.

The movie Wu, as played by Bradley Wong, was disappointingly on screen for less than five minutes. While she'd never seen Henry as anything other than as an Iguanodon, she had a sense that Wu-the bona fide Henry Wu-looked notably different than Wong did. Their voices were definitely different, along with the mannerisms of their speech.

As for the movie Muldoon, he was pretty cool, for the most part, with a personality not all that different from the actual man who'd been piloting the spike-covered Sauropelta. But the outcome for him in the movie…it was total bullshit, as far as Patience was concerned. The real Muldoon she knew would _never_ have allowed the raptors to trick him so easily or just stared at one while he wasted words. And even if his number still did come up, Patience felt strongly that the Muldoon she'd come to know wouldn't have gone into that good night at the claws of the raptors without taking some of them with him first!

After making it through the movie, Patience had then opened her foster "dad's" copy of the book, half-expecting to see that the text had changed in some way. But it hadn't.

She supposed that made sense. After all, Crichton had conceived of the book, written it, and it had been printed way back in 1990. Why would it suddenly change after ten years of having been on the shelves?

So there was no telling whether the actual outcome in the novel had changed for the better or not. She was in the same position as the observer in the Schrodinger's thought experiment, with no way to know if Wu and Nedry had survived and the park had prospered…or they'd all gone down regardless. That was a possibility Patience didn't even want to think about.

Flipping through the book to see how things checked out hadn't been too bad, although reading about Nedry's brutal death by spitting dilo had been difficult. But when she'd gotten to the part where Wu was watching the raptors charging Ellie from behind the fence…she couldn't go any further. And she never would, she knew.

Even though Patience understood academically that the odds were now stacked against it, it was still too horrifying and painful to even start to consider, much less visualize, Henry dying in such a savage, cruel, terrifying way. She shuddered and squeezed her lips shut in unease.

The crowd of students, yammering and laughing, surged toward the main entrance, passing through the doors to fan out into a delta of teens, many heading for the line of parked buses, while others like Patience hit the sidewalks.

First though, she had to go to the zebra crossing and walk across Main Street when the crossing guards held out their signs. On the other side of the road, forty feet to the left of the crossing and facing the sidewalk, a man with thick, slicked over black hair was reading a newspaper on a bench.

He casually raised his head, as if expecting someone, scanning the knots of students. And the sight of his face made Patience gasp in shock. The man's eyes were almond shaped. He was Asian!

 _No way,_ she thought in dull wonder, squelching the insane flare of hope and longing. _No way in hell. He's just some other random Chinese or Japanese or Korean or other Asian dude enjoying a warm June day, peaceably reading the week's local paper. I'm letting wishful thinking get the best of me._

Could it really be happening _twice_ , having someone she'd come to love, value, travel across the boundaries of space and time to come back to her, be a part of her life again, like the freaky thing that'd happened with G.K. and Will's body?

It was ridiculous, but Patience decided to test the waters anyway. When the crossing guards put their flags down, she crossed with the others. Then she moved a few feet away from her peers, in the direction of the Asian man. And, feeling both hopeful and stupid at once, she uncertainly hailed him. If she turned out to have gotten it wrong, been too much of a dreamer, she could always just pass it off as a mistake.

"Henry? Is that you?"

The man's head snapped up immediately, and he let the paper fall as he looked right at her, eyes widening in the same combination of disbelief and delight and cautious hope that then infused her body as he replied with equal uncertainty, "Patience?"

And a supreme, shocked thrill swept through Patience McCray as, without a doubt, she knew. She knew that voice. She didn't know how, or why, he was here in her world, her time and her town. But Henry Wu, a character from the novel Jurassic Park, was here, in his human body, and in her life again.

Letting her backpack drop to the grass, she found herself crying out, "Henry!" and was suddenly running to him in unrestrained excitement as he lifted his hands and gave her a meaningful thumbs-up gesture to further confirm his identity, a smile of equal delight and pleasure gracing his features.

He stood up as Patience arrived and threw her arms around his chest in pure pleasure and affection, closing her eyes as she pressed her chest against his and felt his heartbeat. It truly was him.

For a few seconds, Wu seemed rather startled by such an enthusiastic display of warmth from the teen. Patience had the impression that he was somewhat reserved when it came to showing affection, not exactly the cuddling type. But then he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.

Separating, Patience just looked at him for several seconds in awe and disbelief, taking in all his features. She could see that he was doing the same.

"I'm seeing you," she said, her voice cracking. "Really seeing you as you are, not as an Iguanodon. Listening to you talk. And my God, Henry, are you ever handsome!"

Wu smiled back at her. "It's a joy to see you too Patience. And you are a very lovely young lady, I must say, now that I see you. Inside and out."

"Wha-what in the name of everything holy are you doing here, Henry?! Shouldn't you be back on Isla Nublar, in your own world?"

"I was, for a time," he replied. "But then…I was killed, Patience," he said simply as he averted his gaze from her.

A chill ran through Patience's body, and she gasped, raising a hand to her mouth as she looked at Wu's stomach, currently covered by a T shirt, and then back into his eyes. They told her the awful truth.

"Oh my God," she said simply in abject horror. "Henry, how are you still alive?"

He sighed, shaking his head, the sun gleaming off his black hair. "Oh, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I can still hardly believe what happened to me just now myself, really."

"Try me. There's nothing too crazy for my gray matter to deal with these days. Not anymore."

"Well, okay then. I was given a second chance, Patience, by having my mind collected at the point of my death by _another_ M.I.N.D Machine…"

* * *

 **Wu.**

Fifteen minutes later, in a world that wasn't his own, Henry Wu listened in amazement as Patience finished her account of the final series of strange events at Wetherford.

"That's right," she said lowly. "The Brontosaurus alter ego of J.D., as far as I can figure out, is occupying his body as a placeholder, I guess you could call it, while the human one is traveling the multiverse to recover these lost beings of all realities, and bring them back."

Wu just nodded and blinked.

 _Christ, our lives have all become nuttier than a squirrel's dinner because of that machine,_ he thought.

Another part of Wu replied in giddy amusement: _And this is a news flash buddy?_

"And now," Patience said, "as the icing on the cake, other scientists from that Dinoverse have just sent you here." She shook her head in disbelief. But then she smiled at him. "It's sweet icing though."

"Especially from my perspective, to simply be alive again," Wu concurred.

"So, what ya gonna do now, now that you're here in Wetherford?" Patience asked.

"Not sure," Wu sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Since Toswai and Loong Fuchan were nice enough to provide me with money, I can stay in a motel for a few days, until I find an apartment to rent. Do you know of any establishments around here?"

She nodded. "Sure. You could try the Black Buffalo Motel. We also have a Holiday Inn, a Best Western, a Comfort Inn, and the Crystal River Motel. Plenty of choices."

"Sounds like it. And thinking medium-term here, do you know of any apartments or condos available for rent?"

"If you're talking actual units, I have no clue. I guess you'll have to look in the paper to find out," she shrugged. "But when it comes to apartment buildings, yeah, we definitely have a few of those. And there's probably a few houses you can partly or fully rent too."

Wu nodded again. "Then I'll see what I can find."

"Speaking of medium term though…while you're loaded with cash for now, it's not gonna last forever," Patience pointed out gravely. "Especially when you start buying the things you'll need and paying the bills at your new place. You're going to need a job, Henry, sooner rather than later."

"Oh, I'm very aware of that," he replied. "No doubt it's going to be a major step down from being Jurassic Park's chief geneticist," he sighed. "But as long as it serves its purpose, I think I can manage doing anything for a year or so."

Patience nodded. Suddenly, she brightened.

"Hey, I just thought of something!" she said. "And I think it'll be the perfect fit for you too, Henry," she grinned in excitement.

"What job would that be?"

"Well, like I said, Aaron and Bertram both managed to recover Will and Mr. London from their own separate alternate worlds," Patience told him. "And remember on our last night, how Mr. L said he'd made up his mind that when we got back, he was going to go on some of the adventures he'd dreamed of as a young man?"

"Yes, I remember."

"And Mr. L hasn't forgotten either," Patience said. "The recent word in the halls is that, starting next August, he's gonna go on a year-long sabbatical, traveling to all sorts of exotic places, like East Africa, Brazil, Australia, Spain, China, India, Chile…"

"Good to hear! I hope he enjoys his visit to China," Wu said sincerely. "It's an amazing place. Thailand is incredible too, if he can fit it in. But go on."

"That means of course," she said tellingly, "that someone'll have to fill in for him during those twelve months as a substitute science teacher. And if anybody has the skills and expertise to fill his shoes, it'd be you. I'd jump right on it, Henry."

"I certainly will," he agreed, embracing the God-sent opportunity. "I'll bring the paperwork I was given there at this time tomorrow and apply for that position."

"Cool," Patience grinned. "We're not all that bad a group of teens either, just to let you know," she added, "and it'd be pretty awesome to have you in my school, teaching one of my classes!"

"And that brings up two long-term goals now," Wu said. "One of course, is to find another person like Hammond, who's a dreamer, has lots of money, is willing to take a chance with me, and either has or is willing to start a genetic technology corporation like InGen, so I can hopefully start the process of cloning dinosaurs for a second Jurassic Park. And of course, let's hope that hypothetical new boss will also have a lot more appreciation for what he's doing and proper safety procedures. I know I sure will," he quivered as he looked down at his abdomen with a chill.

Patience nodded gravely as she shuddered, then gently hugged him again.

Parting, she then suggested, "I don't exactly know where you'd find a person like that," she shrugged. "But I think you could do worse than try your luck in Texas. I know there's lots of rich people there, lots of land, lots of other extremely intelligent scientist types who work for big businesses and corporations…I think you'd fit right in and be able to catch the ear of some billionare with the ambition to shoot for the moon if you played your cards right," she told him optimistically. "Last but not least, they're not exactly a culture which is averse to having guns at the ready down there," she added with a smirk. "Neither are we, for that matter."

Wu slowly smiled. "I'd imagine having easy access to firearms would be little difficulty at a new Jurassic Park located down there. Which is definitely a comforting idea, as far as I'm concerned…and not just in regards to my own safety," he added as he glanced at her tellingly.

Patience looked back at him in confusion. "What'd ya mean?"

"I-" he began. Then Wu paused. How should he tell her about this second long-term goal, one that'd been circling his mind even back in the Early Cretaceous?

"Patience," Wu found himself saying. "When you fell into that sinkhole, you called me dad, and I'll never forget that moment, the way it felt."

"Neither will I," she said softly.

"And, well…" he began, body weaving as he looked down at the concrete, but still hesitantly watching her reaction from the corner of his eye, "I understand this is a crazy thing to come out and say, but…you deserve better than the Mushnicks, Patience. Would you like to come live with me?" he found himself offering cautiously.

She gasped, brown eyes widening in both disbelief and delight.

"Oh my God, Henry," she said, "I'd love nothing better than that." But then she slumped as the practical aspects hit her. "But that can't happen. Last time I checked, you can't just go and take a minor from a foster setting to live with you, no matter how good a relationship you have with them."

"Yes, I know. But still, once I get back on my feet and have a stable job, there's no harm in at least testing the waters…"

Patience shook her head firmly. "No, Henry. You don't want to take Stan on in a custody battle. You just don't, okay? It's enough-a hundred times more than enough-that you're here and back from the dead, living in the same town, and hopefully working at this high school next year, where I can see and talk to you every day."

"But it's awful to have to think of you having to come back, night after night, to that hou-"

"Don't try to make yourself into my legal guardian, trust me. I'm just happy enough to know that now I have a _real_ father figure in my life, who I can turn and talk to as a friend if people like Monique are jerks to me, or if I'm sad, or need encouragement about something, who will come to my basketball games and other events. Most of all, I'm just grateful to have you back as the ultimate example of how not everyone goes away on me after all," she smiled, eyes becoming watery.

"All right," he conceded. "For now, that'll be the extent of our relationship, although I do plan to revisit this subject at a later date. But-and I'm just talking hypothetically here-if I intended to adopt or foster you, do you have any idea what I'd need to fit the requirements, in addition to a permanent address and steady job?"

"I'm not really sure how that works in Montana," Patience shrugged. "You'll have to research that, I guess. Or I could for you. But I'd guess you'd also need to be in a stable partnership with someone to qualify, with both of you holding down jobs. I could be wrong, though."

Wu nodded, sighing. "Then it looks as if I'll have to go through the personal ad-" he began to say, half-jokingly.

But then, quite suddenly, Henry Wu saw something that cut him short and jerked his attention away from Patience.

Across the road, walking down the sidewalk to where an emerald green Ford Explorer waited in the school parking lot, was a young woman in shiny gold flats. She was young, probably in her late twenties, and like Wu, Asian.

While Henry Wu understood that many whites perceived people of East Asian extraction as all looking the same (he'd been mistaken for a Japanese or Korean or Vietnamese or even Indonesian person too many times to count), he knew that there were actually some noticeable differences between the different groups if you were both experienced and knew what to look for in the body and face. People who came from or could trace their ancestry to northern China, for example, tended to be taller, more solidly built, and have higher cheekbones and straighter noses then southerners like his family.

So he could tell right away that the woman walking to her car, holding several large folders in the crook of her left arm, was Korean. And also one of the most profoundly gorgeous women he'd ever seen.

Wearing a silver cotton blouse and teal green, knee-length skirt, she was of medium height, tan and well-proportioned, with lovely, soft almond eyes, good-looking legs, and black hair that shone like silk in the sun, reaching to below her shoulders. Wu found himself yearning for her right away.

Quickly scanning her hands as best he could from his vantage point, he saw no sign of a wedding ring, which cheered and interested him to no end.

Speaking softly to Patience, even as he tried not to gape, he asked her, "Who is she?" as he slightly gestured in her direction with his head.

"Huh? Oh, that's one of the school's three art teachers, Miss Park. Until seven months ago, she used to be called Mrs. Englebeck. But then she caught her husband in bed with another woman-and dropped his cheating ass like a hot potato," she grunted.

A small smile came to Wu's lips as he nodded. While it was a pity she'd been hurt in such a way, it also meant this Miss Park was now very much available. He really liked the way his life had been turning around these past two hours.

"Miss Park," he repeated, seeming to savor the name. "Do you know what her first name is, by any chance?"

"Nope." Then Patience gave him a sly, sideways grin. "But you could always find out and go ask her."

"I'll do that," Wu decided, grinning as he watched the art teacher unlock the passenger door and place the presumed assignments on the seat. "Yes, I just might do that."

Walking around the back of the Explorer, hair gleaming in the spring sun, Miss Park abruptly paused then as she prepared to open the door. As if sensing Wu's gaze on her, she half-turned and looked right in his direction. Her face was so beautiful and round, lovely as the full moon as her dark eyes thoughtfully met and held his.

To display good intentions, Wu lightly smiled back and briefly raised his right hand before dropping it.

The art teacher's response was to give a bashful smile of her own, blushing as she lowered her head and then slipped into the Ford's driver seat, shutting the door. Wu kept appraisingly watching as the engine came to life, she backed out, and then exited the parking lot along the curving entrance path until she turned left onto the road.

* * *

 **Vanessa**

As Vanessa Park went to her driver's door, ready to put herself in the seat and the key in the ignition to drive the five miles back to her house after yet another long day of teaching art classes, something suddenly gave her pause. It was that inexplicable sense of being scrutinized, of someone staring at you.

She turned.

To her mild surprise, on a bench across the two-lane street, not far west of the zebra crossing, a slender Chinese man in a red T-shirt and navy blue cargo shorts was sitting, watching her appraisingly, a dreamy little smile on his face.

Oddly enough, Patience was seated right next to him, and it briefly made a flare of vicarious maternal concern rise within her. But then Vanessa saw the way she was at ease with the Chinese stranger, trying not to knowingly snicker. Clearly they knew each other well in some way. And she relaxed.

Realizing he'd been spotted, the Chinese man, in his early thirties from what Vanessa could discern, showed his pearly whites in a brief smile and raised his right hand in a gesture of acknowledgement and friendly intentions, his eyes never leaving her.

Vanessa recognized that he found her attractive, and her lips curved up as well in a mixture of both embarrassment and flattery as her cheeks became heated and she turned away, still giving him a sidelong look as she got into the Explorer's driver seat and buckled up, the strains of a New Radicals CD coming from the car's speakers as she turned on the ignition and put it in reverse.

As she turned onto Main Street, Vanessa Park briefly raised her eyes to the rearview mirror. The man was still on the bench, watching her go.

She gave a thin, uncertain smile again. The ogling made her feel a little uncomfortable-but she also had to admit that the guy was pretty cute himself.

* * *

 **Wu.**

As he watched her go, Wu snapped himself back to attention.

"Well," he told Patience as he got to his feet, "I won't detain you any longer. I'm sure you've got homework to do, your cats to feed. I've certainly got plenty of things that I should be doing on this first day of the rest of my life," giving her a smile of both amusement at the craziness of it all and bone-deep gratitude.

She reluctantly nodded as she stood up too, turning in the direction of her backpack.

"Yeah, we've both gotta be on our way. Bye for now, Henry."

He watched as she began to walk away.

But then, suddenly, Patience turned back to face him. In three quick strides, she was right in front of him once more, lithe arms squeezing him in a heartfelt hug of farewell, forehead tucked into his chest as she told him, "Welcome back, Dr. Wu."

And he reciprocated, embracing her back as he gave a smile too, one of of deep love and joy.

A burnt orange sports car drove by, sunroof and windows down, and Wu heard music coming from its speakers for a few moments, like an omen.

"Turn the clock to zero, boss, the river's wide, we'll swim across. Starting up a brand new day!"

* * *

 **The term Goi, of course, means "thank you," in Cantonese.**

 **Two more chapters until the end...**

 **Please take the time to leave reviews!**


	47. Chapter 47

**This chapter is not so much a structured actual chapter, but more a series of "snapshots" in chronological order of Wu finding his feet in Wetherford, and much of his courtship with my Korean art teacher OC, Vanessa Park.**

* * *

 **Will**

Will was sitting in front of his computer at home the next evening, working on his final book report for English. Summer of the Monkeys, by Wilson Rawls.

Suddenly, his new red cell phone buzzed in his room. Going and grabbing it, he smiled on seeing Patience's name on the phone's caller ID.

Flicking it open, he said, "Hello there Patience. How ya doing?"

"Good as ever. And you?"

"Oh, just pounding away on this tiresome book report. But yeah, things are good."

"Ah. You might be interested to know that yesterday, we had another blast from the past show up."

Will felt his body immediately tense like he'd touched an electric fence. He sat down on his bed so hard it made the springs squeak. He knew just what Patience meant by that.

"Who?" he dully whispered.

"The doctor," she replied, pleasure in her voice.

Will felt his jaw drop, and disbelief flood over him, even as he gave a partial grin of paradoxical delight.

"Whoa. Cool. Very cool. So he uh, arrived, yesterday?"

"Uh-huh. He was actually waiting for me after school, in fact."

Will grinned again. How sweet of Henry. He could well imagine how shocked and overjoyed Patience must've been to see the man again. But why was he here in Wetherford?! And how, with the M.I.N.D. Machine destroyed? The Dinoverse scientists were probably responsible for that.

It all made his head spin.

"Where is he right now?"

"I saw him again after school today, and he's at the Comfort Inn in town for now, until he can find an apartment or room to rent. But the reason I'm ringing you is that he wants to see you whenever you can make the time. Bertram too."

"You called Bertram yet?"

"No. But when I'm done, I'll be giving him a call."

Will was silent for a bit. "Why does he want to see both of us?"

"Partly because he's curious, wants to see you guys in the flesh. But it's also because if it wasn't for both of you, Bertram because he made the original, and you for, ah, helping make the new one in the other place, we'd never have met, for one thing-and now he owes his life to you as well," she replied thickly.

"Okay then. I'll come and see the good doctor tomorrow night, if Bertram can arrange it." Will grinned enthusiastically.

* * *

 **Bertram.**

Bertram Phillips wasn't sure what he was going to say to Wu or what to think as he, Will, Patience, Zane, and Aaron, a new student who'd become like a brother to him, all piled into one of the Comfort Inn's two elevators.

What did you say to a character from a popular **_novel_** , a **_work of fiction_** , who'd suddenly, magically showed up in your world and town?

"Going up folks," Aaron announced as he jabbed the button for the third floor. The doors closed, and the elevator rose, producing that familiar churning, sinking sensation in the pit of Bertram's stomach.

"Hello there vertigo," Zane commented. He felt it too.

With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and Patience was the first one out, leading the way as she broke into a trot, brown skirt sliding over her thighs as she said out loud to herself, "Okay, he's in room 326…"

"I sure hope I don't wig out too bad," Aaron said, slightly worried. "It's not every day you meet a guy from another universe _and_ who you used to think was just a made-up character in a best-selling fictional novel."

"Don't worry, he's cool," Zane replied. "You'll cope."

She went down the hallway, turned a corner, and went down to the numbered room where she knocked on the door. "Hey Henry, its Patience and the guys, just like I said."

A sound of movement from inside, and a male voice saying, "Great! I'll be right there." Bertram exchanged a look with Will, then Aaron.

"Well, he certainly doesn't _sound_ weird like Jae'Dee," Aaron said.

The door swung open, revealing a fairly tall, slender Chinese man in olive green pants and an elbow length orange T-shirt saying Nerds Dominate! Bertram approved of the sentiment.

His eyes widened and he gave Patience a smile of greeting before looking at her companions and cordially saying, "Come in, all of you. Nice to see you all could find the time to pay a visit."

"Uh, anytime," Aaron replied.

Since he'd come across as a nice guy in the book, and they had the numbers, Bertram did just what Wu had requested as Zane shut the door behind them.

It was a typical hotel room, two beds, one of them with covers pulled back, newly bought articles of clothing hanging in the closet or folded neatly on tables, some still in opened plastic bags. Clearly Wu hadn't been sitting on his laurels.

For a few long moments, they all looked at each other. While he still wasn't totally convinced that he was interacting with a character from the Jurassic Park novel, Bertram could immediately tell that this man had been touched by the machine. It was visible in the serenity, the new wisdom in his black almond eyes, the confidence and courage and more mature posture he showed, the style of movement he was demonstrating. It was also obvious to Bertram that Henry had recently had some sort of shave with death, for he plainly, in a dozen ways, acted like a person who'd been made to realize just how sweet and wonderful the gift of life truly was.

Then both Zane and Will smiled, and strode forward, laughing in astonished delight as Will enthusiastically shook Wu's hand, and then followed it up by actually briefly leaning into Wu's side for a moment before flinching away in embarrassment, lowering his head as he sputtered, "Sorry, Henry. I just do things like that sometimes if I'm not careful."

"He kind of has a split personality these days," Zane supplied as he too, happily shook Wu's hand, and then hugged the geneticist as an affectionate follow-up, clapping him on the shoulder. "Anyhow, color me both amazed and glad to have you joining us in our podunk little town."

"Thanks," Wu smiled widely as they parted. "And as I told Patience before, it's great to see both of you again-including as your human selves at long last."

"Hopefully I don't look too ugly or dumpy," Zane said playfully, amusement pulling up his mouth corners.

"Oh, not at all."

"I'm rather surprised to see ya, my fellow **_very_** _ultra-lucky_ former herd mate," Will frankly told him. "Happy, yet somewhat freaked, to be honest."

"Well," Wu smiled, "thankfully, life and fate both found a way. It's my understanding that you also had a very close shave with mortality as well, inside the mountain."

"Did I ever," Will shivered. "Too close."

Then Wu turned away from his erstwhile travel companions, and thoughtfully looked at Bertram.

"So you're the fellow genius here," he said, clearly awed and impressed. "The one who created it and started it all."

Bertram nodded. "Not that I intended to though. It was all a fluke," he said modestly. "You though…you set out with the goal of cloning dinosaurs from the start-and you actually _succeeded_ , Henry. That's way more incredible, in my opinion."

"Well, even if it was just a random fluke Bertram," Wu replied as he sat down on the bed, "that's often the way great breakthroughs in science come to be. And the fact still stands, you ended up producing a machine with the power-the fantastic, enchanting power-to place human _minds_ into the bodies of the real, prehistoric creatures. While I can't pretend to speak for Muldoon and Nedry, I know that I found it to be an extremely educational, enlightening, wonderful, dramatic, and just plain rewarding adventure. Thank you for making the road that led to it, even it was pure happenstance."

"Well, thank you for the praise."

Wu nodded, and then turned to Will with a small smile.

"So, I've heard you've not only got some theropod in you now, but you also made the second M.I.N.D. Machine, in the Dinoverse…which was used to save my life."

Will uncertainly nodded. "Yeah, the awareness of G.K.-he's here, inside me all right. Weird as hell, isn't it?"

"You're not getting any objection from me," Aaron grunted.

Wu laughed. "That frankly covers all of this," he chuckled as he gestured around the room.

Then he paused, features becoming somber as he stared at Will. "So, the 'new' machine was your own creation, then?"

"It was a joint project actually," Will replied. "I'm not all that good with electronic stuff."

Wu nodded.

"So," Bertram asked, "what are your plans, now that you're here in our world?"

"To get a job for one thing," he smiled. "Word's reached my ear via Patience that there's a substitute teaching position available next school year however, which I've already set up an interview with the principal for in four days."

"Good," Aaron smiled. "You have a lot more initiative there than me, Mr. Slacker, in that department."

"Oh, Mr. London," Bertram nodded. "So you're planning to fill in for him while he's on sabbatical."

"Correct."

"Well, let's hope you get it," Zane said. "It'd be pretty cool having a character from one of my favorite novels teach us about photosynthesis," he grinned.

"But what are you going to do for money during the summer?" Patience asked.

"That's been on my mind too," Wu nodded. "It'll run out soon enough. So I've been looking through the classified ads to see if there's an opening I have the skills to fill."

"Hey, I just thought of something!" Zane said, brightening. "My aunt is on the Wetherford Community Education board, which among other things, provides adults-oriented educational classes on all sorts of different subjects. If you feel like doing it Henry, I'm sure there's some really interesting things you could offer to teach the locals, use as the basis for a class or two during the summer. And you'd get paid fees for it, of course."

"That's a very good idea," Wu agreed. "Could you write your aunt's name and phone number down for me, if you please?" he requested, gesturing at a motel-issued notepad and pen on the dresser. Zane nodded, and did just that.

Bertram was thinking over the suggestion Zane had just made.

"Chinese," he said suddenly as he looked at Wu.

"Come again?" Wu asked.

"You could teach classes in how to write or speak Chinese to adults around here," Bertram proposed.

"Or martial arts!" Aaron suggested.

Wu gave a light laugh. "Unfortunately, while I hate to destroy the pop culture image here, my knowledge of wu shu and other fighting styles is rather rudimentary. I'm hardly in any position to be an effective teacher. But language classes, yes, that's a very good idea," Wu agreed. "But my problem is, are there enough people in this community to make it worth the effort?"

"Well, Wetherford is fairly large as towns go," Will replied. "So the odds are that there'll be a few folks who would take an interest."

"And you never know until you try," Patience added.

Wu concurred. "I know Cantonese very well," he mentioned. "Mandarin I'm not as fluent in, but I can still hold a decent conversation in it."

"And Chinese food!" Zane said in excitement. "Everybody loves Chinese food, and if you offered a chance to teach them how to make some dishes, believe me, that would definitely get some attention from people!"

"That's also a very good idea for bringing the money in. Yes, I'll try that."

* * *

When the residents of Wetherford, Montana reached into their mailboxes and pulled out the Summer 2000 issues of their Wetherford Community Education and Services booklets, three new activities greeted them in the Adult Enrichment section.

 **Beginning Chinese**

Have you ever wanted to learn Chinese? Do you travel to China for business or have just always wanted to see its extraordinary wonders and beauty, but are intimidated by the thought of the language barrier? You will start to speak and understand two different dialects of Chinese, Mandarin and Cantonese, in this five-week class, through interactive and conversational sessions and activities to help you learn basic vocabulary, grammar, writing, and pronunciation. Learning about Chinese culture is also a significant component of this class. Textbooks are available to purchase from the instructor the first night of class.

Instructor: **Henry Wu**

 _Mondays and Wednesdays, Late June-Late July, 6:30-8:30 PM, $55_

 **Continuing Chinese**

Continue and put to greater use what you have learned in Beginning Chinese! You will continue learning vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation while speaking and hearing both Mandarin and Cantonese. You will also learn to hold medium-length conversations and even more about China's ancient culture. Textbooks are available to purchase from the instructor the first night of class.

Instructor: **Henry Wu**

 _Mondays and Wednesdays, Early August-Mid-September, 6:30-8:30 PM, $55_

 **Cooking Chinese.**

Would you like to make delicious Chinese food in your own home? Instructor Henry Wu will lead this class and show you how to make several items of traditional Cantonese cuisine. All dishes are easy to make and delicious. This will primarily be an instructional and demonstrational class, and you'll get to enjoy some of the results!

 _Thursdays in July, 7:00-8:30 PM, $30_

* * *

Whether it's been taken from, or restored to a person, life is something that never stands still. It's the car that takes you through the streets and byways of existence, in which sometimes you are in control of the pedals and steering wheel, and at other times you just get dragged along in shock and confusion. As some wise soul once said, it's what happens when you make other plans.

But Henry Wu, in a world and time that was no longer his own, worked mightily to stay in control. Four days after his arrival in Wetherford, he rented an apartment at Lupine Meadows Apartments, buying what he needed for his purposes as they were required.

Among them were a pair of black dress pants, a pale blue button-up shirt, a red and silver striped Trump tie, black leather slip-on shoes, and a dark red vest. He needed to display an air of professionalism when interviewing the principal of Wetherford Junior High, after all, and a T-shirt and shorts simply wouldn't be appropriate. Wu also made certain to bring both the mostly honest documents Toswai and Loong Fuchan had provided for him, as well as that important badge of readiness and anticipation, the black pen.

Now that he had a permanent address for the time being, this made it much easier for Patience to visit or call him on the apartment phone, which she did at least once a day.

And she was the first one Wu called, the first one to know, when he received the wonderful news. As he'd presumed, she was utterly delighted to hear that the verdict on the position for substitute science teacher had come in-and it was his to have the honor of filling.

* * *

Food, water, a roof over one's head, protection from the cold, and a place to sleep are essentials for every human being. But so is companionship, something Wu was keenly aware that he no longer had.

Okay, that wasn't entirely true. Patience, Will, Zane, Bertram, and Aaron were certainly good company, calling him up or paying Wu a visit whenever they could. And Wu was one of those people who'd never particularly minded being alone for long stretches of time.

But for all that, there was only so much of flying solo that a person could take, and the understanding that he was now forever cut off from all the adult relationships he'd had in his life to date made the isolation that much more piercing.

He missed the other researchers and technicians he'd worked with. He missed the Tican guards and workmen. He missed his siblings. He missed Muldoon, Arnold, Regis. Wu even found that he missed Hammond and Nedry. He missed his own friends from college and high school. And he certainly missed his parents. Now he truly knew how Patience felt.

Aaron had been the first one to do something on Wu's behalf to satisfy that need for adult company. He'd lost his own mother to a car accident, and had asked Wu if he wanted to come meet his own father.

"He's a sergeant in the army," Aaron said, "but don't let that put you off. He's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, brave, wise, accepts everyone as they are, and would give the shirt off his back for one of his pals…even his life, if he had to."

"Plus," Aaron added, "he used to be stationed in Hawaii and California, so he's very used to Asian people like you, Henry. Give him a try," he recommended.

And so Wu did.

It turned out to be a fun night, and Aaron's father, Steve, proved to be a welcoming host, serving a baked ham and cheesy scalloped potatoes with broccoli for dinner. Mint chocolate chip ice cream was for dessert.

After that, Wu joined Steve and Aaron for a viewing of the martial arts classic The Way of The Dragon, with Bruce Lee, as all three of them talked and got to know each other better. And the choice of film had nothing to do with any stereotypical presumptions Aaron or his father had in regards to their guest's ethnicity-they just simply enjoyed the movie and wanted to share that enjoyment with Henry Wu.

And although he'd seen the movie before, Wu still enjoyed watching it. To watch Lee's command over his body, his fluid power, the practiced, devastating force of his kicks and parries and throws, was nothing less than mesmerizing, a spectacle which never got old.

When the movie was over, the three of them played a few games of dominoes together for additional friendly bonding before calling it a night. Wu went home with a smile of enjoyment and satisfaction, recognizing that he and Steve had taken a mutual liking to each other.

Zane was the next to make a proposal, saying to Wu that he knew how it felt not to have a dad around anymore. He'd told his mom and sisters about this Henry Wu guy, who was new in town, and didn't really know anybody, so would it be okay if he could come to their place and have lunch, hang out a bit?

Janet had said yes-but first, she wanted to meet him in a public setting before she'd allow him to visit her home and five children.

Wu understood, and he'd arranged a get-together at Fred's Bar and Grill in town, with Zane and one of his sisters, Tracy, coming along. Wu greeted them politely when they arrived, and although Janet had initially been somewhat concerned about the idea that Zane had developed a friendly relationship with this strange Chinese man-and now wanted him to come visit her home on top of that-she soon realized this Henry Wu was good-natured and harmless, could be trusted.

And like her son and daughter, she found it very interesting to hear him talk about how he'd gone to graduate school at Stanford, not to mention the three times he'd been to China. When they'd parted, it was with mutual trust, and the promise that yes, Wu could come visit their family for lunch. How about next Saturday, in fact?

To Wu's surprise and somewhat baffled amusement, not only was he greeted with a warm reception and good food, but Zane and his sisters had taken it upon themselves to regale the geneticist with a little dance number and rousing rendition of a wonderfully riotous song that was evidently called "Be Our Guest" from a Disney movie known as Beauty and The Beast.

In his turn, Will then introduced Wu to his own parents, including Douglas Reilly, who was distinctly eager to get Wu acquainted with the joys of fly fishing, a huge reason why he'd moved to Montana from Indiana as a young man.

The summer classes proved to have a decent turnout, and through them, Wu came to know even more of Wetherford's residents.

But there was one last type of relationship lacking from Wu's new life, one that he'd promised himself he was going to pursue in earnest after having literally died. One of romantic love.

* * *

 **Will.**

"Okay guys," Will said as he sat down in a lawn chair at his home later that June. "You're all probably wondering why I called you three over here on this lovely summer day."

"It is on my mind," Percy admitted. He, Zane, and a new buddy of Will's, Brandon Jackson, were all seated in a semi-circle on Will's porch, having been called up for yet another of his "big plans."

"Well," Will replied, "I know it's been a while, but I've brought you here to perform a public service, so to speak."

"What are we doing this time?" Percy asked. "A trash cleanup? Another fundraiser? Collecting donations for the food shelf again?"

"Or maybe we'll be walking the dogs at the animal shelter, making dinners for the seniors, that sort of thing?" Brandon guessed, even as he regarded his fingernails. Zane of course, said nothing, just gave Will a knowing Mona Lisa smile.

"Nope," Will replied. "What we're going to be doing instead, is getting a guy who's new here in town hooked up with a lovely girl. And believe it or not, I'm doing this simply because it's just a nice thing to do," he smiled.

"You serious? Percival, have you seen any pigs flying lately?" Brandon said as he looked at Percy in amazement, then at Will.

"Not to my knowledge," Percy replied as he blinked. "You're seriously just doing this to be a good guy Will, and not for the recognition? For once?"

"Yes," Will replied sincerely. "It's not another publicity stunt this time. My only motivation is to help the guy find someone for his own sake. He deserves to have love in his life."

Once more, Brandon and Percy just stared at Will in astonishment.

Then Percy smiled. "Cool," he said, warmed. "So this is gonna be like our own little version of Much Ado About Nothing, then?"

"Exactly," Will grinned back. "I call it, Operation Blind Date!"

Now it was Zane's turn to be surprised. "I didn't know you read Shakespeare, Percy."

"Not willingly," Percy grunted. "But we all know how my dad's been on this tangent lately about getting my brother and me to become more familiar with our 'proud British heritage.' Part of which involves having us sit down and listen to him read parts from one of The Bard's works every night. I have to admit though, he sure did have a way with words-even if I can't understand half of them."

"So, who's the lonely bachelor we'll be helping set up a romantic evening for?" Brandon asked. "And who's the lovely lady you've got in mind for him, Will?"

"You'll find out," Will slyly grinned. "Patience and Mindy are putting the idea on the table before her even as we speak. As for who he is, how about meeting him for yourselves?"

Will then turned, facing the garage, and cried out a name.

"Henry, come meet the rest of the matchmakers!"

And a slender Chinese man emerged into the open from behind the garage.

* * *

 **Vanessa.**

Standing next to the flowerbed she'd been weeding and hoeing when they'd arrived, head shaded by a straw hat, Vanessa Park listened with interest to Patience and Mindy as both teens made their pitch for a blind date.

"His name's Henry," Patience said. "Henry Wu."

So that was the handsome stranger's name.

"He's Chinese then?" Vanessa surmised. "Southern ancestry, I'm guessing, from what I saw of his features."

Patience nodded.

"Like we said, he's _very_ new in town," Mindy told the art teacher. "He used to live and work in southern California as a scientist, but the stress of his job, the crowds, the pressure and the smog and the traffic, the way the city made him feel just so confined…it became too much for him to handle anymore. So one day he just quit his job, left everything behind, and took a Greyhound bus up here to Wetherford, where he intends to start over from a clean slate and live the sort of life he truly wants to."

Vanessa nodded. "I can definitely understand why he did that," she replied. "And I admire it, too. It takes guts to not only admit to yourself that you just aren't happy with your life and environment anymore, but to then completely turn your back on it and strike out to find something better. I hope he likes it here in Big Sky country, away from the crowds and the smog, where his sprit can be free," she smiled.

"And we hope he does too," Mindy nodded in agreement.

"It came at a price though," Patience said, a hint of grave sadness in her voice. "He never had all that many friends to begin with in California, but now he doesn't have any at all."

Sympathy flooded through Vanessa Park, whose original surname had been the distinctly un-Korean Wickerloff. That was because, twenty-eight years ago in the South Korean city of Busan, when she'd been just 8 months old, her mother had left her in a box at a fire station, the first act in a journey that would take her from Busan to an adoptive family in Boise, Idaho. Vanessa thought she had a fairly good idea of how Henry was feeling.

"That's a shame," she replied gently. "Yes, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure he'd appreciate having dinner and a movie, or whatever he feels like doing with somebody-especially with a fellow Asian," she smiled.

 _And I for one,_ she thought, _wouldn't mind having a second look at him either._ The idea made her suddenly blush. After having been so terribly betrayed just several months ago by her ex-husband, a part of Vanessa reminded her to be cautious, to not be so quick to trust.

But then she decided that this Henry Wu was most likely very trustworthy. After all, Patience obviously trusted him…and Patience was not the sort of person that was easily fooled.

"So," Mindy carefully ventured, "does that mean you're willing to go on a blind date with Henry then?"

"I'd be glad to. What've I got to lose?"

* * *

 **Wu**

While he was outwardly calm, Wu still felt distinctly apprehensive inside as Will led him up the driveway to Vanessa's door.

He knew that he probably looked good enough, dressed in a pair of clean tan pants, a blue dress shirt, a pair of black sneakers, clean-shaven and with his hair slicked to the side, a bouquet of red carnations and blue larkspurs from Joyful Florals in hand. But what was he going to say to her when they first met?

 _So, you must be Vanessa. You're looking gorgeous this evening, Miss Park. Wow. I've never seen anybody like you, Miss Park. Do you ever look fantastic! Are you one beautiful woman._

All were good potential choices. But when he knocked on the door, and the moment of truth came, her beauty took him off guard. Wu stared at the woman before him, wearing lipstick, blush and eyeliner. Her long hair had been permed at some point after he'd first seen her, forming black wavelets which ran down her shoulders and back. She wore a blue silk blouse and tan skirt, her legs encased in black nylon leggings.

It made him speechless. And all Wu could do was dumbly half-gape as he proffered the flowers, saying weakly, "Hi. I-I'm Henry. What's your name, Miss Park?"

But the blind date turned out to be a good experience for both of them. Vanessa drove Henry to a barbecue joint, where he had a beef brisket sandwich, corn on the cob, and chili, with a slice of huckleberry pie for dessert. As they ate, they struck up a conversation, discussing their tastes in music, what movies they liked, where they were from, their favorite colors, if they had any pets, Vanessa's job as an art teacher, what it was like at Wetherford Junior High and the town in general.

After dinner, Vanessa decided to take Wu for a walk around the town, show him some of the sights. Several times during their stroll, Henry felt a powerful urge to slip his hand over hers and hold it. It just seemed natural, right. Yet he stopped himself, not wanting to push things too strongly. Two and a half hours later, when he and Vanessa parted ways at her door, they'd already arranged to repeat the experience.

* * *

After their second date, one that had occupied an entire blissful, magical Saturday, pleasantly tired from the long day, Vanessa Park thought she'd collapse into sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. But she didn't. She couldn't.

She couldn't stop thinking about Henry Wu. The shape of his eyes. The way he walked. Sleek black hair. Perfect white teeth when he smiled, the curve of his lips. The muscles in his neck and his soft, elegant hands. The way he stood.

A powerful memory came back to her from earlier in the day: the clean shampoo scent of his hair when they'd been eating subs on a park bench together, and she'd unobtrusively leaned in closer. It had been pure pleasure. She thought of how the sunlight had shone on Henry's hair like it was obsidian. She inhaled deeply and could almost smell it again, his male scent in general, and it made her heartbeat quicken.

Turning her head, she looked at the vase on her dresser, filled with the flowers he'd given her.

"Holy hell," she said reflectively, in dull amazement. "I've only laid eyes on the man three times, but my God, I think I'm actually already falling madly in love."

And the thought made her start gently singing a tune from the play South Pacific.

"I'm as corny as Kansas in August, I'm as normal as blueberry pie, No more a smart little girl with no heart, I have found me a wonderful guy!"

* * *

When she found out Henry was going to be working for the school year as a substitute science teacher in the same building, it privately sent Vanessa over the moon with delight. It was also satisfying to think that for the time being, he'd also be making a financial contribution to the household if the two of them ever decided to co-habit.

 _Hypothetically of course,_ she swiftly corrected herself in embarrassment. She shouldn't get ahead of herself when it came to decisions and desires like those, after all.

* * *

One day in late September, both Vanessa and Henry were coming back from a local dude ranch, where Vanessa had brought Wu to partake in the classic Montana experience of horseback riding. As they drove through the rocky hills, sagebrush flats, and cattle-chewed grasslands, with Vanessa at the wheel, she suddenly pointed towards the passenger side of the windshield, barking out, "Look Henry! Coyotes!"

As she slowed so he could see better, Wu turned his head and saw a loose group of silver gray and tan coyotes running through the brush, two adults and five large pups.

Vanessa counted the young coyotes as well.

"One, two, three, four, five," she numbered thoughtfully. She then cocked her head at Wu and gave him a hopeful look, one that was filling with both amusement and longing. "Don't know about you, but I think two or three would do just great," she told him cryptically.

"Two or three of what?" he said in abject bafflement. "Do you mean coyote skins?"

She just shook her head and giggled, a dismissive, knowing sort of giggle.

It wouldn't sink in for Wu about what she'd really meant by the words until a couple hours later, when he was alone in his apartment.

* * *

On their very first date, Henry Wu had told Vanessa that he was a big fan of Eric Clapton. So in retrospect, it had made perfect sense that during a school dance on that second Friday evening in October, the DJ had suddenly announced, "For a certain substitute science teacher here at Wetherford, Eric Clapton's slow jam, 'Change the World!'"

And with a smile, Henry had nervously slid over to her and held out his hand in an invitation to dance. When she'd accepted, Vanessa naturally noticed Will and Patience grinning from ear to ear as they clapped and gave thumbs-up of applause.

* * *

 **Not much further to go...**

 **Don't forget to practice the two R's!**


	48. Chapter 48

**Again, this chapter is more of a fast-forward through Wu and Vanessa's developing relationship.**

* * *

In early October, Vanessa finally caved in, and decided to take a chance again. She asked Henry if he was willing to leave his apartment and move in with her.

He said yes, and no outside party could've been more delighted than Patience McCray. While she was still legally in the custody of the Mushnicks, she now visited Henry on a near-daily basis, and frankly saw more of him and Vanessa than she ever had of Stan. Will too, continued to play a big part in her life as well.

It also hadn't escaped Patience's notice that, in a teasing spirit about Wu's manner of speaking, Vanessa had recently begun to call him, with equal parts affection and mirth, _Oh Henry_.

The art teacher had also privately explained to Patience that another reason she called Wu by that moniker wasn't just as a reference to his verbal quirks, but to the candy bar as well, because he was sweet and smooth to the touch, just like it was.

Patience had laughed at the confession, and not just because it was funny.

It was also because Vanessa had seen fit to give Wu a pet name. Now she knew with a joyful certainty that the relationship between the two was going somewhere.

* * *

One chill fall day, shortly before Halloween, Henry Wu walked up the stairs to the front door of the house he now shared with Vanessa, having just come back from a department staff meeting, briefcase in hand.

As he turned the key in the door to unlock it and stepped inside into the entryway, he heard the sound of Vanessa and Patience laughing together.

"You're such a good boy! So cute and fluffy!" Wu heard Patience exclaim in delight. He also heard another sound, of claws clicking on the wood paneling, and heavy panting.

"What's going on?" Wu asked.

There was a pause, and then, from the living room, Vanessa nervously came over, Patience following. With them was a big black dog, a black Lab and German Shepherd cross which reminded Wu of a black wolf and barked at him in greeting twice, then just stood, panting.

"Henry, please don't be mad," Vanessa requested as she held up her hands for calm and met his gaze. "As you know, I went to the animal shelter to sketch some of the dogs and cats, and also brought Patience along so she could see and play with them."

"I know that you should never buy or adopt a pet on impulse, especially without asking permission from the other adults in your home first," she went on apologetically, "but he's just _such_ a beautiful animal…and you can see how _smart_ and intelligent he is, and he was so sweet…and both Patience and I felt so bad for him…and then he became _so sad_ after we began to walk away…"

"Yeah, he's a really nice dog," Patience added as she ruffled his coat. "And German Shepherds, they're brave guard dogs you know, that'll do anything to protect their owners-and everybody loves sweet Labs!"

"Of course," Vanessa said as she sighed and lowered her head, "if you're angry that I pulled this without asking you, or you don't like him, or you're worried he'll cause problems, or you don't think we have the time for a dog right now, I won't hold it against you Henry. Just say so, and I guess I'll just loa-"

Wu cut them off by holding up a hand and raising an eyebrow.

"If there's going to be a dog in this house," he said, "I think I have the right to ask a few questions."

"Fair enough," Vanessa replied.

"Is he housebroken?"

"He is," Vanessa replied confidently.

"Good. Has he had his shots?"

Patience nodded. "We can show you the copies of his vet records right now, if you want."

"No, that's fine. Does he chew things to pieces at all?"

"Good as gold in that department," Vanessa replied.

Henry then looked at Patience's pleading face as he then asked, "Last but not least, does he get along well with cats? Chase them, stalk them, things like that?"

"He doesn't," Patience said as she shook her head. "They've tested him on a leash with cats, and he's friendly and polite towards them. Model citizen."

Wu then smiled as the dog came up to him, petting his thick fur. "Then you two ladies have nothing to be nervous about, because I think I love this noble fellow." It wasn't an exaggeration. He truly was a handsome and endearing dog, intelligent and well-mannered.

"Yay! He stays!" Patience whooped in delight, throwing her hands up. "Thank you till _forever_ , Henry."

Vanessa smiled and nodded, hugging Wu as she told him gratefully, "Glad you like him, Oh Henry."

They parted, and Wu idly petted the dog's shoulders as he looked at Patience and Vanessa in turn, saying "So, what's his name?"

"We've decided to call him Max," Vanessa replied.

"Montana Max," Patience said with authority.

* * *

After living and working in the hot, humid cloud forest of Isla Nublar for six years, becoming reacquainted with the snow and dry chill of winter-especially the unforgiving, screaming savagery of winter on the open plains of Montana, when drawing breath felt like being strangled-took some serious getting used to for Henry Wu.

But he had Max, he had Vanessa, he had a home with a furnace, a soft bed-and last but not least, plenty of new clothing, gloves, and other gear to properly equip himself for protection against the winter's rage whenever he stepped outside, cumbersome as it could be. And even the most dreary, depressing, brutally cold winter days became warmer and brighter whenever Patience or one of her friends rang the doorbell and tromped in.

There were other compensations too. Cross-country skiing. Experiencing the thrilling rush of riding a snowmobile. The alabaster purity of fresh snow mantling the houses, the trees, the hills, the cars and fields. The ethereal way the moonlight shone off the snow whenever he took Max for a walk at night, transforming even the most uninteresting or coarsest places in town into silvered, dazzling fairylands.

Besides being a high school art teacher, Vanessa Park was also a gifted artist in her own right. Shortly after Thanksgiving, she began to work on two different canvases in her studio…a studio whose doors she abruptly took to keeping shut at all times, with a sign on the handle reading in sharp block letters: SECRET PROJECT IN PROGRESS. DO NOT ENTER. THIS MEANS YOU, HENRY AND PATIENCE!

Tempting as it was to sneak a peek, Wu wasn't the type to impatiently ruin surprises for himself or others, and so paid the admonishment proper heed.

On December 20th, with Bertram and Patience and Percy in tow, Wu and Vanessa went to Target, the Wetherford Variety Store, Bobcat Creek Gifts, and Vaughn's Tree Farm. Leaving Max with Bertram's dad, the five of them spent the day buying Christmas gifts for each other, decorations for the house, sawing down a Scotch pine and strapping it to the top of Vanessa's Explorer like a hunted deer for the Christmas tree, and then buying ornaments and lights for that tree.

It was a joyful, fine Christmas.

In the morning, sitting around the light spangled tree, hung with shining ornaments as they ate nuts, peanut M&Ms, peppermint bark, and sugar cookies Vanessa and Patience had baked and artfully decorated the afternoon before, Christmas music playing on the CD player, Wu and Vanessa exchanged gifts. He gave her a copy of Heinlein's Stranger in A Strange Land and a beautiful jade-and-pearl necklace on a gold chain.

She gave him a handmade dreamcatcher, and then presented Wu with one of the two paintings she'd been working on, a portrait of her _Oh Henry_ simply standing in the spring sun, lupines and daisies and other wildflowers growing around his feet, the sun gleaming off his black hair as he smiled.

The idea that she'd seen fit and taken the effort to immortalize him on canvas flattered and delighted and touched Wu immensely, and he wasted little time in copying his image and smiling in joy, embracing her wholeheartedly as he kissed her, weaving his fingers into her curled tresses. They put it up over the fireplace, and Wu often looked up at it throughout the day, pleased and proud.

Will, Patience, Aaron and his dad Steve all arrived around noon, and as soon as they'd all hung up their coats and slipped out of their boots, they wasted no time heading for the living room. There, Vanessa passed out glasses of peppermint eggnog as they admired Wu's portrait, and then presented Patience with the second painting she'd completed. This one showed her and Henry standing together, an affectionate arm around each other's shoulders, smiling as Max laid at their feet, happily panting. It put a real lump in Patience's throat, and she then teared up from the emotion of it as well.

Henry gave his quasi-adopted daughter and Will a present each. Patience got a plastic Acrocanthosaurus from the Carnegie Museum line of models, while Will got a copy of _Raptors!: The Nastiest Dinosaurs_ , by Don Lessem and illustrated by David Peters-also giving each of them a sly, knowing little wink and smile that caused all three teens to laugh, and the other adults to just stare in baffled happiness.

* * *

One day in mid-January, 2001, Wu allowed Garrett Reilly, Will's little brother, to talk him into sliding down a popular hill in Raven's Nest Park on his neon-orange plastic saucer sled. Wu went down "faster than a pronghorn with its ass lit on fire,"-those were the words of Zane's brother-in-law, Jacob Stone, who'd just happened to be there watching the scene-with "the biggest eyes you'll ever see on an Asian man in your life," and crashed headfirst into the tail end of Papa Bear, Jim Thorbrand's playful Newfoundland, who'd decided at that moment that he just couldn't resist joining in the fun.

The impact hurled Wu to the ground, bloodied his nose, sprained his wrist and cracked three ribs. Although Vanessa understood it really wasn't an appropriate occasion-it was rather callous, to be honest-she laughed like a hyena the majority of the way to the hospital. The fact that Wu, despite his pain and the fact that it had to be a trial to simply draw breath, was also laughing like a creature gone mad did nothing to help Vanessa get her composure back. They both laughed until the tears flowed.

She couldn't help it. Wu had simply looked so utterly _Oh Henry_ zipping down the hill on that huge orange plastic plate in his quilted red down jacket and brown pants, eyes wide with alarm as he'd spun like a top, a dervish, legs crossed like he was trying to meditate…and the look on Papa Bear's face, the way the dog had yelped when her boyfriend's skull had crashed into his backside-priceless!

Henry recovered just fine of course, although his wrist would ache a bit at times, and he did get rather tired of Steve, Aaron's dad, asking him whenever they met, "So Henry, gotten your head rammed up any dog butts lately?"

* * *

Not everything was smooth sailing and sunny days between Wu and Vanessa as they courted.

It wasn't long before the art teacher began to realize that there was something odd about her _Oh Henry_.

Or to be more precise, a _lot_ of things that were suspicious about her boyfriend, that were both baffling and unnerving.

For one thing, he _always_ dressed in long-sleeved shirts that covered his arms down to the wrists. And even when they began living together, he took pains to always wear a bathrobe after his bath, to keep his chest and abdomen covered at all times. Vanessa had never once seen him go shirtless, even on hot days, and it puzzled her.

At first, she took it to mean that Wu was simply a modest man, and didn't care to expose himself, walk around half-naked in front of others. She supposed it was commendable of him, that her boyfriend held such high standards of decorum.

But as they came to know each other better, and after Wu moved into her place, he still took pains never to display his torso or upper arms around her, even in the privacy of her home. Being no fool, Vanessa felt it was a pretty safe bet that there was something Wu was diligently concealing underneath those shirts and long sleeves.

But what? A tattoo relating to a former lover or girlfriend? Had he perhaps spent time on the wrong side of the tracks, been up to no good as a misguided youth before shaping up, and gotten one or more tattoos to look/feel more intimidating, maybe even signify membership in a gang?

If that was the case, Vanessa didn't see why Henry needed to conceal that fact from her or be embarrassed. He'd told her he was thirty after all, so it made perfect logical sense that he'd have had girlfriends or lovers before meeting her-maybe even have been married at one time, for all she knew. And Lord knew there were lots of guys in this world, no end of guys, who'd been "bad boys" as teens, but had then straightened up and became respectable adults in good time.

Or were there scars he wanted to conceal? Perhaps her _Oh Henry_ had been in a car accident, or gotten mauled by a dog, had a botched stomach surgery, been mugged, gone through some terrible bodily trauma that had left him with grisly scars, memories of a brush with death that he didn't want to expose her to or be forced to speak about, to relive. She could understand and respect that. He'd reveal whatever his skin bore in good time.

And then there were the even more bizarre, haunting things he did in his sleep.

When Vanessa and Wu began sharing her home and bed together-chastely of course, for she came from a strong Christian background-it didn't take long for her to sometimes be woken in the middle of the night by feeling his body curving or twitching against hers.

During those times, as well as when taking naps on the couch, deep in REM sleep, Henry would begin to softly talk, as if in some eerie trance.

He'd speak to individuals named "John," "Rob," "Ed," "Kathy," "Eitaro," "Junko," "Frank," "Claire," "Michelle," "Oliver," and "Dennis," among others. Vanessa knew that Henry had told her himself that he used to be a successful scientist before "breaking down," and moving on a whim to Wetherford, and she presumed he was speaking to former co-workers and friends at those times, with a man named "John," from what Vanessa could piece together, acting as Wu's boss…one who, if the tones her boyfriend sometimes used in his dream talks were any indication, had been a rather frustrating man to work under at times.

In the same vein, it also made perfect sense that Wu sometimes spoke of scientific procedures as he slept, of petri dishes, supercomputers, microscopes, instructing other staff how to do a complex task.

But the one thing that baffled Vanessa Park to no end was when Henry would whisper things about dinosaurs in his slumber. He referred to them in slangy, casual terms, as if he'd been intimately familiar with the beasts, calling them "compys," "stegos," "dactyls," "rexes," "hadros," "trices,"... and "raptors."

And in his private, mysterious dreamland, Wu seemed especially terrified of the raptors. He also spoke of "acros" or "acrocanths," "iggies," "astros," and "long-necks."

At times, Wu would growl or grind his teeth, tense his body, hold out his arms as if warding something off, kick out, gasp, violently shudder, groan, or even launch himself out of sleep with a piercing, almighty scream, more than happy to accept Vanessa's compassionate, reassuring embrace and soft, calming words as he regained awareness and she gently stroked his hair and shoulders…but would never reveal what terror in his past might've catapulted him from what'd outwardly seemed like a peaceful enough slumber.

 _What is going **on** with you Henry? **What** sort of things have you seen_?

Last but not least, Vanessa owned a paperback copy of Jurassic Park and a hardcover of the sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park. And sometimes she'd catch Henry reflectively flipping through one of the books, or even just staring at the cover as he held them, seeming almost to be lost in melancholic reminiscence. While it varied between occasions, Wu's eyes would display at least one facet of a shifting kaleidoscope of wistfulness, pride, regret, apprehension, gratitude, fear, amazement…and something that Vanessa interpreted as a deep sense of loss, of sadness and failure.

 _Oh Henry_ , she'd think at those times. But not with affection.

 _Why_ those two thriller novels had such a hold on him, made it seem almost like he was going over entries from a personal journal, Vanessa couldn't begin to guess. Was there a link between them and somebody in his past? Had there been a very good friend, maybe even somebody that he'd loved deeply, who enjoyed both those books?

The mystery of it all, this curious behavior from Wu-it all formed a weird algebra equation in her mind, one where Vanessa didn't know how or whether to add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

She first tried to open the vault door, crack the combination, on Halloween night.

A group of sixth-graders in their costumes had just come to the art teacher's door, and now, having received rations of fun-sized candy bars from Vanessa in her witch costume, were tromping away down the sidewalk to hit another house for treats.

One of them had been wearing a Tyrannosaurus rex costume, and she noticed that Wu, standing on the concrete front step with her, was idly, reflectively following him with his gaze, clearly lost in thought, his arms folded across his chest to keep warm.

"Henry?" she said. He didn't seem to hear her.

So she tapped his back with a black-painted fingernail. "Houston to Henry, do you copy?"

Startling, he looked back over at her. "Huh? Sorry, I let my mind wander there," he said as he smiled.

"Would you like to tell me what's on your mind?"

"Nothing much," Wu replied. "Just thinking about how the people here have-as a general rule- accepted me so openly, and how now that I'm in a secure, stable position for the time being at last with my new life, I should probably start working now on some of the medium term goals I want to accomplish in my future."

"That's good. But do you think there's any chance you'll also tell me a few things about the past?" she hinted. "You know, _your_ past?"

He tensed then, and gave her a hesitant, uncomfortable look. "Why does that matter? It's over and done with."

"Well, I just want to know more about your background, get to understand you better. That's okay, isn't it?"

He gave her an uncertain, awkward smile. "Of course it is. I'm sorry though," he said in regret as he turned away. "Some things I'm willing to share with you, and others…I just can't Vanessa. And you wouldn't want to know anyway."

"Try me. I can handle a lot of things."

He shook his head.

With a sigh of mild frustration, she went back inside, Wu following. When he closed the front door, she turned again, and faced him from six feet away.

"Look Henry," she said, gently yet firmly, hating to prod yet wanting to help, "you understand you can trust me with anything, right?"

He slowly nodded.

"Then please," she coaxed, "why won't you tell me about what's eating you from your past, what makes you do strange things sometimes?"

"Strange things?" he replied in cultivated confusion.

"Don't play dumb with me. You know what I'm talking about, the things I've been noticing. How you always wear long-sleeved shirts and never show that body of yours in the buff, even on the hottest days."

Vanessa saw Wu mentally clamp down as he looked away from her and said, "I'm a modest person, and I don't want to risk contracting skin cancer if it can be helped," with a shrug. "Is that somehow a crime now?"

"I never said it was. But even here, at home, you never go shirtless, are always wearing a shirt or jacket or bathrobe with long sleeves indoors, where there's hardly any risk of UV exposure. And we both know I couldn't care less if you went shirtless around our place," she added meaningfully. "Far from it," she lightly smiled, winking at him. "I'd love to see that handsome torso of yours exposed for once."

Wu laughed. "I'm sure you would. It's just that…it would upset you and embarrass me if you saw me that way."

"Why would it upset me?! Henry, if you have tattoos or even the most hideous scars imaginable under there, do you honestly think I'd love you any less for that? That I'm _that_ pathetically shallow?"

"Not for a moment," he replied softly, placating. "I know you'd never judge me that way."

Wu then came up to her and slipped his fingers into her wavy hair at her nape, grinning as he tilted his head, the brim of her witch's hat brushing his own scalp as he sucked at her painted lips before drawing back to gaze at her appraisingly, his own lips curving upward.

"Speaking of appearance," he commented, "you make a damn sexy witch, you know that, Vanessa? That black lipstick is a particular turn-on," he grinned. "Gives you a real exotic, tribal type of look-and I think I like it. It also really brings out those lovely white teeth of yours. Not to mention the way that heavy black eyeliner also suits you."

Vanessa smiled back, flattered, yet also somewhat irritated. She recognized his intent for what it was. "Glad you like the paint job so much. But Henry, if you think you can throw me off topic with smooth words-"

"I'm _not_ trying to throw you off topic-"

"And I'm also _not a moron_ ," she said harshly. "Next question: what sort of things _did_ you do as a scientist, down in California, if I may ask?" She looked at him as she then added, "And do they have anything to do with why you talk in your sleep at times…or even have nightmares?"

A brief flash of surprise. Stubbornness narrowed Wu's almond eyes, and he said gruffly, "What I did in the past is classified knowledge, and I'm not at liberty to talk about it. Okay?"

"Did you work in defense?" Vanessa guessed as the idea suddenly came to her. "You did research and development work for the military, in a genetics capacity, right? Probably for some sort of biotechnology."

"Vanessa, please," Wu said, giving her a pained look.

"You must've been working under a nondisclosure agreement," Vanessa surmised, "and if you don't want to break it, I understand perfectly. Hell, you don't have to confirm or deny a thing Henry. Just hear me out."

"Go on. Enjoy your guessing game," Wu sighed impatiently.

"Southern California," Vanessa pointed out, "is home to more than half of all the defense contractors in America, so the chances you'd be working for one down there would be pretty high."

"And so what if I did?" Wu replied, not looking at her as he began to fidget. "So what?"

"My guess would be," Vanessa said, "is that you were working on a genetic engineering project for one of those companies, something for the Pentagon, NSA, that sort of thing."

"You're barking up the wrong tree, Vanessa," Wu sighed.

"I don't think so. I figure that you were a part of a team that was working on some genetic scientific project that was immoral, dangerous even, for Uncle Sam…and one day, there was some catalyst, something that sent you over the edge and made you decide to just wash your hands of the entire thing and fly free for new pastures, where you could start anew and make a righteous living."

"You're sounding like a conspiracy theorist," Wu replied, giving her a sidelong look.

"I'm just trying to put two and two together," Vanessa shrugged. "I'm sorry if it comes across that way."

"What was being cooked up in that lab, Henry?" she asked softly. "You have my word that I won't tell another soul. Was it a biological weapon, like oh, transmissible cancer, or airborne Ebola?"

"That's ridiculous. And again, what I used to do for a living is classified."

"Or were they doing something right out of the pages of _The Island of Dr. Moreau_? You know, messing around with the DNA of humans and fierce animals-baboons, tigers, bats, grizzly bears, alligators, piranha, eagles, and so on-to make _literal_ Beast Men or similar bizarre hybrid offspring, entirely new creatures to be used on the battlefield. Is that what your team was up to?"

"I think you've been watching way too many horror movies," Wu snorted.

"Maybe you _already_ had something created," Vanessa went on, following her train of thought. "Maybe it got a hold of you at some point, mauled or slashed you, and _that's_ why you don't want anyone to see you shirtless, why you lost your nerve and got out of that place while the getting was still good," she said as she pointed at him in mounting confidence.

For several long moments, Wu gazed back at her tensely, saying nothing, seeming very much caught out. But then he shook his head in exasperation.

"There's no way that'd be allowed to happen," he denied. "No ethics committee would ever give the go-ahead to create something like that. And as it stands right now, the science of biotechnology isn't nearly advanced enough yet to work with any degree of confidence on that sort of project."

"I don't trust the ethical standards of our military officials as far as I could throw them, to be perfectly blunt Henry."

"And what point would it serve, anyway?" Wu went on rhetorically. "Okay, let's assume that I really was part of a scientific team trying to make some hybrid monster by fiddling around with the DNA of existing species…explain to me, what actual _purpose_ would there be for it? I mean, aside from exhibition in some carnival freak show? How would it possibly be controlled?"

"I have no idea. You tell me, Henry. Electric shocks? Hormone treatments?"

Wu laughed. "Think about it Vanessa. As a scientist, I can assure you that research money is always awfully damn tight, and there's _stiff_ competition for any and every grant, major or minor, so nobody's going to be able to afford to take a chance on a project which if successful-a huge _if_ -would have unpredictable, probably sickly results and be of no legitimate use. Scientifically interesting and revealing, yes. Practical or controllable, no. Get the picture? The Pentagon has better things to do with its money than see it be squandered to produce a freak show creature."

"And we all know that they've always been _so_ fiscally responsible before," she replied dryly.

He sighed in exasperation. "Vanessa, it's one thing for the Pentagon to allow some money to be wasted in the production of a new weapons system, or helping to rebuild the infrastructure of a war-torn nation, or in giving serious attention to a subject like say, UFOs or revolutionary new sources of energy that we might scoff at as being childish balderdash-but for all that, is still worthy of legitimate scientific inquiry. But it's another thing entirely for them to hand out funds and employ people for experiments with no practical potential."

"Anyway," he said in closing, holding up a finger, "I'll just say this one final time: I did _not_ work in defense, I have my reasons for keeping my lips sealed, you don't want to know the truth and I don't want to say it, and you wouldn't believe me even if I told you. In fact, you'd just think me…well, you know."

The doorbell rang then, and Vanessa sighed.

"All right," she conceded. "I really wish you'd trust me enough to open up about your past Henry, but I can see that I'm not getting anywhere and just making you uncomfortable. So I won't pry about it anymore, okay?"

Wu gratefully nodded. "Okay. That's good."

But as Vanessa picked up the bowl of candy and went to the door as the bell rang insistently once more, Wu kissing her cheek on the way, she filed the subject away in her mind, knowing that she would be double-clicking on it at a later date…whether her boyfriend liked it or not.

* * *

On the evening of November 14th, a frigid wind howled outside through the streets of Wetherford, like a giant blowing over the mouth of an immense pop bottle, a hollow and lonely and mournful sound. It was the voice of desolation, and it made Vanessa Park feel all the more happy and secure to know that she had the company of Max and Henry to share her home with on this night.

She'd cooked a meal of sweet and sour pork with fried rice for dinner, and sat next to Wu as they ate, both just simply talking about their day, petting Max now and again in response to his demands for affection.

They each ate one serving of food, got up, spooned out another, and sat down to eat and talk some more.

At one point, their conversation turned to the subject of Cantonese cooking. Hardly surprising, since sweet and sour pork was a Cantonese dish, and Vanessa knew that Wu was Cantonese in ethnicity.

"I've always found it interesting," Vanessa commented, "that most of what people call 'Chinese food' here in America is primarily Cantonese-style cooking, although you certainly get dishes from regions like Hunan and Sichuan too."

Wu nodded. "I personally adore northern style hot pot. That freshly stewed meat, seafood, vegetables, dipped in sauce...better than sex, as they say."

She chuckled at his comment.

"Makes me feel rather flattered though that the global public thinks so highly of my people's traditional cuisine," he smiled. "Our fellow Americans clearly know a good taste when they find one," he grinned.

Vanessa laughed. "Yes, these foreigners have good taste indeed. As for Korean food, I know a lot of non-Koreans find it rather bitter and strong-tasting. I've never had complaints when I've served traditional barbecued dishes though, like short beef ribs."

"I'd like to try that sometime. Anyway, as I said, the rest of the human race sure has fallen for Cantonese food. In fact, believe it or not, Chinese food is really popular over in Costa Rica, of all places."

As he said the country's name, Vanessa noticed his eyes turn away from her slightly and become distant, as if looking into the past. Wu's gaze became the type you'd see on a man waxing nostalgic, remembering. On the features of his face she saw sadness, loneliness, regret, loss-even, perhaps, helpless fury-pass by.

He looked down at his belly, lifting up his shirt to intently examine something, as if contemplating his navel. But when Vanessa rose into a half-seated position and tried to get a better look, he noticed, yanking the shirt back down and glaring at her as he said, "Do you mind?"

Exasperation and anger rose up within her as she snapped, "You know, what's the damn deal with not letting me see you shirtless? Why are you behaving so weird?"

"And why are you being so nosy?" Wu growled as he got to his feet, pushing the chair out from behind him.

"Because I really don't like how you're hiding things from me, Henry!" Vanessa fired back as she too, leapt to her feet to confront him. "And I sure as _hell_ don't appreciate how you're talking to me right now either. People aren't supposed to keep secrets in a loving, honest relationship like ours!"

Wu's face fell, taking on a downcast expression.

"I know," he sighed sadly. "It's just…it's complicated, okay? I'm doing it for both my benefit and yours. What I've been through, what I really am-you wouldn't believe me or understand."

"I would if you'd have enough respect for me and our relationship to just tell me! I wouldn't care if you told me you'd stabbed another man to death with your bare hands, worked as a researcher for the use of poisonous gasses on civilians in warfare...or even personally gave human test subjects fatal injections of different poisons, genetic cocktails that turned them into hybrid monsters or modern Mr. Hyde's or whatever, hallucinogenic drugs, you name it," she choked out, starting to cry. "I'd still love you just as much and not say anything, I swear. Just please, be honest with me!"

"Oh, I wish I could," Wu said regretfully, torn. "But you'd only think that I was raving mad, Vanessa."

"Now why I would ever think that?" she said, hurt. "You're able to take of yourself and perform domestic duties successfully on your own, have excellent manners in both public and private, have a job, are extremely intelligent and well-spoken, speak coherently, have functional relationships with other people...I'd _never_ think of you as being looney tunes in any way, Henry."

"Trust me, you would. And as I said, what I did in the past is classified," he growled angrily as he turned his back on her and stormed off into the living room, where he threw himself down onto the couch.

Her tears now becoming ones of rage, Vanessa followed, determined not to be put off by Wu's steadfast refusals.

He didn't look at her as he muttered, "Can't you just accept that it's in both our best interests to let this matter drop for God's sake, Vanessa? And it also contains a lot of baggage with it that…well, even if the whole thing _wasn't_ so insane to contemplate, I really don't care to be dwelling on, all right?"

"I hope you understand that it's not healthy to keep your feelings bottled up, right Henry?" Vanessa told him firmly. "All it does is cause worse pain, and I think you need someone to share what's happened to you with. Let that pressure out, please. It makes me sad, seeing you this way."

"Fine," Wu sighed in reluctant exasperation. "I suppose I'll get off my chest what I safely can," he told her hesitantly, obviously uncomfortable. "And you're right that I'm sad-deeply sad, frankly-about something that happened to me in the recent past."

Vanessa sat down to listen.

"I'm still not willing to tell you the whole truth," Wu admitted. "Not yet, and I'm sorry. But you're right when you guessed that I used to work for a bioengineering company as a top geneticist. It was a private one though, not federal."

"So that means my defense technologies project theory can go on the trash heap," Vanessa replied.

Wu nodded. "Yes. A good guess though. This particular company was all started and funded by one extremely rich man-including my research. He was a billionaire, in fact."

"What was this company's name? And this filthy rich magnate's, if I may ask?"

"That's classified," he said regretfully, compressing his lips and looking at the oatmeal-colored carpet. "And again, all in the past."

Vanessa decided to let that one go. Suddenly, a flash of insight came to her.

"His name was John, wasn't it Henry? And this project, it must've been in Costa Rica somewhere, am I right?"

He raised his head and stared at her in amazement, pupils widening. He opened his mouth, as if to deny it once again-but then must've recognized that there was no point in trying that tactic.

"Yes," he conceded, impressed and nervous. "But how did you know?"

She shrugged. "You say his name sometimes in your sleep, often enough that I've been able to work out that he must've been the boss. And the look you got in your eyes when you mentioned Costa Rica…it just came to me."

He gave a thin, rueful smile. "Looks like you can read me awfully well. And yes, you're right on both counts." Then his eyebrows lowered as he cocked his head slightly and asked, "Have I ever said anything about John's _last_ name in my sleep?" She got the impression that he was distinctly nervous.

"No. I've never heard anything."

Wu seemed relieved as he sunk back against the couch, a thin smile coming to his lips. "Thank God."

"Is it too much for me to ask what this John's full name was?" Vanessa warily asked.

Once again, the maddening, cool, stern, unyielding, hesitant response. "That's classified."

She throttled a flame of frustration.

"All right. Is there anything you'd like to tell me about this big, complex secret project Henry, that you were presumably working on someplace in Costa Rica?"

"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies," Wu replied with soft regret. "And I really don't enjoy telling you lies, Vanessa."

"Well it really rubs me the wrong way having to hear them! And if you hate telling lies to me so much, then why don't you just tell me the truth?!" she earnestly demanded.

Irritation and anger welled up in Wu's eyes-an anger that Vanessa could somehow sense wasn't entirely directed at her-and his voice became a harsh whiplash as he said, seething, "Fine, damn it! You win! You want to know what exactly about my past makes me stew and brood sometimes. Then let me spill some of the beans."

"This project I was working on," Wu went on as he looked away from her, doing a serious slow burn, "what I'll tell you about it is that I was picked by John to do something incredible Vanessa. This project was something astonishing, one of those things that even most of my fellow geneticists would look at and pronounce as being like the equivalent of trying to get film of a live giant squid, something that couldn't be done…but I believed it could," he said. "And I did it…albeit maybe a little too well," he mysteriously admitted.

"The fruits of what I slaved away for six years to produce," he went on bitterly, staring at the wall, "worked my ass off to achieve, had so many moments of optimism with only to see collapse as failures before I cracked that next step, would've seen one of humanity's greatest wishes come true, Vanessa," he said sadly, with an awful quality of failure, of supreme success deferred and crushed to pieces in his voice.

"And it would've made me into a Nobel Prize winning scientist-yes, a Nobel Prize, Vanessa!-given me the acclaim and fame that few other people in science have ever managed to achieve. We are talking a Carl Sagan, Watson and Crick, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Robert Bakker, Jane Goodall degree of recognition here," he said pointedly, head wagging up and down with fury. It reminded her of a bobblehead figure.

"Were you trying to replicate the formation of life from nonliving matter in a lab environment?" Vanessa guessed. "Or clone a mammoth, maybe? There's been a lot of talk recently abo-"

"And that's talk I don't want to get into right now," Wu gruffly told her. "Just listen to me, okay?"

With an irritated sigh, Vanessa made herself do just that with a nod to go on.

"Just as important," Wu went on, "is that this project was being done in an atmosphere of complete secrecy, with no press releases, no outside visitors unless they'd signed a nondisclosure agreement, no talking to reporters, no talking to members of your own _family_ about what you were doing at this facility…and perhaps most maddening of all to me personally, not being allowed to draft up, submit, and have the scientific papers which documented the _volumes_ of data collected during the course of our research, the cutting-edge procedures my team and I developed and hammered out, published in prestigious academic journals."

He shot her a pained type of glance, helplessly spreading his hands apart.

"Imagine it, Vanessa. You're an artist. Imagine if you worked day in day out to produce amazing paintings, drawings-but then, because your boss insisted on it, you had to sit on them for years until you could finally stage an exhibition. That captures some degree of how frustrating it was for me, and how increasingly eager I was to see the day when I could publish the encyclopedic results of my work, not to mention show them to the world."

Moved, Vanessa went to Henry on the couch and sympathetically kissed the side of his head.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," she said gently. "I can very much see how that would be extremely aggravating, being forced to sit on, hold back with something that you desperately want to share with others, would put you on the map and contribute to human knowledge."

Wu gave her a thin, half-hearted smile before becoming morose and sulky again.

Anger crept into his voice, a wrenching combination of powerless fury, abysmal heartbreak, and a protestation at life's injustice as he then spoke in a strangled snarl, "And then, a year or less before it can be revealed to the light of day, before I can get the spotlight on me at long goddamn last, it all goes down in flames-in more ways than one-during a fateful, awful forty-eight hours. Forty-eight hours in which I get _everything_ , all I've worked so hard for, taken away from me Vanessa. All because some fat, backstabbing prick of a _bahk guai_ had to…well, never mind," he said, clamping the lid down again.

"My God, that's terrible Henry," Vanessa replied as her face fell. "I can't even begin to imagine."

"No, _you_ _**can't**_ ," he replied passionately.

"What was that particular round-eyed _pabajay_ 's name, if I might ask?"

"It doesn't matter, okay?"

Anger flared up in Vanessa. "You know, can't you just come clean and tell me _why_ in Christ's name you are _acting_ like this Henry?!" she snapped.

"Hey, I don't need to explain myself to you," Wu shot back. "The fact that I've told you this much already should be more than enough to satisfy your obsessive _need_ to pry into my private business!"

"I just want us to be open with-"

"God damn it, leave me in peace and just _shut up about it_ , okay Vanessa?" he yelled, head twitching up and down in a spasm.

She jerked back in shock. "You know, why do you have to hide things from me?!" she yelled back as she sprung to her feet. "What is your damn _deal_ , Henry? I thought we were making some progress just now with you opening up to me, that we're at a point where we can trust each other with anything-but I guess that was too much to hope fo-"

"Shut up about it! What gives you the right to pressure me into telling you every deep dark secret just because you want your curiosity to be satisfied?"

She glared at him, hands balled into fists. "So that's how it's going to be huh? You're going to just continue doing weird shit and being evasive with me when I try to understand why."

"Why don't you just give it up and learn to focus on the present, what's down the road, instead of trying to psychoanalyze me and look into my past?"

"Fine," she snarled as she turned her back on him and stalked out of the living room. "You're obviously not willing or ready yet to quit playing games with your own _girlfriend_ , to _stop_ the evasive bullcrap, and I'll let it slide for now. But I'll warn you Henry, if you keep on keeping whatever's eating at you locked away…you just might get your wish to be left in peace."

Miffed, she stole a glance back over her shoulder at Wu, still seated on the couch as his body shook. He wasn't saying anything, just had his right hand, fingers splayed, placed over his face. Two silver lines of tears were spilling down his cheeks.

And something told Vanessa that it wasn't only their now-shaky relationship or guilt that was making her boyfriend weep.

* * *

 **The term "bahk guai" is a common racial slur against whites by Cantonese speakers, roughly translating as white devil. "Pabajay" is the Korean word for loser.**


	49. Chapter 49

**One more chapter to go until the end! Just an epilogue to write, and that'll be it!**

 **If any of you are interested, I imagine my OC, Vanessa Park, as looking very much like a younger version of Sandra Oh from Gray's Anatomy, and also a bit like Lisa Ling in some aspects as well.**

 **While Bradley Wong plays his character in the movie and Jurassic World, I picture Henry Wu as looking like a mixture between John Cho from the Harold and Kumar movies, and-no pun intended-comic book artist Gene Yang.**

* * *

It was on the evening of January 10th that Vanessa Park's frustration with Henry Wu's puzzling, enigmatic quirks, the events in his past that he kept such a steadfast, iron hold on, finally reached a critical mass.

She'd seen that Jurassic Park would be airing on TNT in her TV guide, and had asked Wu to come watch it with her.

He'd agreed, and Vanessa had noticed that he seemed both hesitant and fascinated by the idea as he'd taken a seat and joined her for the movie. Odd, because Wu was normally so confident and self-assured in everything he did.

While he'd had to use the bathroom during the very beginning, where the velociraptor grabbed and killed the worker, he dutifully took his seat next to her on the padded lemon yellow couch, slipping his right arm around her shoulders. It was a wonderful sensation, to feel his strong arm around her, to feel his warmth and heartbeat, smell his sharp male scent as she settled in and focused on the movie.

Still, Vanessa occasionally gave Wu the odd, sidelong glance, idly curious about his reactions to one particularly compelling scene or another. She noticed that his demeanor was rather reflective, regretful, wistfully amused while watching the first portions of the Spielberg classic.

At times, such as when Alan Grant was first shown in Montana, or Gennaro in the Dominican Republic, his eyes would widen in surprise, and then he'd softly say something like, "Alan had a beard," or "Gennaro was a lot more built than that guy on screen," or "I seem to remember Ellie being rather younger than this lady is," always hastily adding, "In the book, I mean."

While the corrections and gentle interjections were annoying, Vanessa didn't complain. Some people were just purists, and either expected a movie to confirm in all major details to the beloved book it was based on, or couldn't get themselves to just turn off their minds and allow the inaccuracies in a movie intended for entertainment to slide. She'd once had a boyfriend who'd been in the Montana National Guard, and Joe had never been able to stop himself whenever he'd seen a scene in a movie that got something having to do with the military incorrect.

At other times, Wu seemed like he was about to say something in response to what he was seeing on the screen…but then would glance at her and think better of it.

When the Brachiosaurus came on screen, he watched it with an expression of awe, pride, and what Vanessa thought was melancholic recollection.

He seemed to really enjoy the animated Mr. DNA character, grinning and chuckling in amusement, nodding in approval, and had said of Hammond, "I like this version of Hammond a whole lot more than the r-the original thing. He'd be a way better boss."

When the group had entered the lab, she'd playfully nudged him with her elbow and said teasingly, "Look Henry. It's you on screen!" She warmly chuckled. "Funny coincidence, huh, that you both have the same name?"

Wu nodded and gave her a measured smile as he replied, "It certainly is. But my voice doesn't sound like his."

"No," she agreed as she looked over at him. "I think your voice sounds much better."

"Hopefully you think this is a Henry Wu who _looks_ better too, dear," he commented as he leant forward and kissed her on the temple.

"Believe me, I'd take my _Oh Henry_ over B.D. Wong any day," she sultrily assured him as she then kissed him back. "While he doesn't look half bad in that lab coat, I know that if I saw a guy as hot as you in one, talking nerdy to me…get out the beakers and liquid nitrogen baby, because I'd be melting," she replied in playful passion, fanning herself with her right hand.

"And you've also got a good six inches of height on Mr. Wong too. Which is great, cause I like my men with a bit of stature," she grinned.

Wu laughed in flattered approval as he leant forward and kissed her scalp, still keeping his eyes on the screen.

And then things went to another level of strangeness.

When the raptor chick hatched, she saw Wu tense in unease, Adam's apple working as he stared at the feat of puppetry. It was that thousand-yard type of stare. Vanessa could definitely tell it was triggering a disturbing memory.

And when the baby raptor's little hiss became the ear-piercing screech of an adult, Wu practically exploded with fear, giving a loud shout of surprised terror as his entire body bucked on the couch, so violently as to make it rock.

Turning about, Vanessa looked at him in equal surprise. Then she laughed knowingly.

"Wow, did that raptor's scream ever give _you_ a jolt Henry!"

"Yeah," he said shakily, body quivering as he settled down. "Sorry to have reacted so strongly. That's not me."

"Eh, it's fine," she assured him. "That screech gets a lot of people."

But even as she spoke, it occurred to her that Wu's reaction had been qualitatively different than other times she'd seen him flinch at a scary scene in a movie. What he'd just done was somehow more…primal, she supposed, a visceral type of reaction. Something close to panic. Crazily, she wondered if he'd just exhibited a symptom of PTSD.

When Muldoon, as played by Bob Peck, strolled onto the scene, commenting, "They should all be destroyed," Vanessa was astonished beyond words when Henry lowly, automatically replied, a distinct note of bitterness and fear in his voice, "If only we had taken that advice Rob. If only we'd had that much common sense."

Slowly, Vanessa turned her head to look into her boyfriend's haunted, agitated eyes.

" _What_ did you just say?" she said dully. "Did I hear you correctly, Henry? Did you just say ' _we_ ,' like you were actually _there_ , knew this guy and actually saw the raptors?"

Wu hesitated. "Never mind that," he told her as he shook his head. "Forget what I just said, okay?"

He stood up, saying. "I don't think I like watching this movie all that much. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

Vanessa watched him go in abject bafflement, just sitting where he'd left her for several seconds. Then she grabbed the remote, her lips compressing as she mashed the OFF button and got to her feet as well, a grim resolve gripping her as she headed after Wu. This crazy talk, this parrying of her questions, was ending right now.

Wu was sitting at the dining room table, drinking a glass of apple juice.

He tensed and met Vanessa's gaze as she came forward.

"Okay," she said unbendingly as she sat down at the head of the table, across from him. "This behavior by you Henry is ending tonight, one way or the other. Tell me what's going on."

"That's classified, Vanessa," he replied uneasily. "You wouldn't believe me, and I'd be risking pros-"

"Nobody'll ever know that you told me."

"Then why do you have to put me in such an awkward position?"

"Because I've had it up to here with you being secretive, Henry," her voice lashed. "There can't, isn't, and won't be trust in a relationship where one partner is hiding things from the other. And if you don't want me to toss you out into the cold in the next twenty minutes, if you value our relationship, you'll quit being coy-and I don't mean the pretty ornamental carp," she bluntly portended.

He looked at her, with an expression in his almond eyes that communicated the understanding of the purity and volatility of her anger, and that he was in the position of a man walking among wild lions with a compound fracture.

"All right," he conceded as he sighed. "Here's the truth. The whole truth, Vanessa, even though it'll take you to a place you won't be coming back from. It'll also be extremely hard to believe...I can hardly believe it myself, quite honestly."

"The last time we had this discussion," he told her, settling back into his chair as he meshed his fingers, "you were very close to the mark when you asked if my team and I were working on cloning mammoths. I used to work on a very similar project…but it involved bringing back creatures even older than that."

"You mean-you were _cloning_ _ **dinosaurs**_? Working on a real-life Jurassic Park like your fictional counterpart?"

"Yes," Henry replied soberly, an ironic smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Just…not in this world, Vanessa."

 _What in fiery hell?_ Was this an absurd joke?

"No way. You're frigging kidding me."

"I'm not, Vanessa," he said with utmost coolness. "It shouldn't be possible, I understand that feeling very well, but I'm not a man of this world. Honest before God."

She gaped at him, mind struggling. "You-does that mean-you're an _alien_ , Henry? Like that movie with Jeff Bridges, what is it…Starman?! Oh Jesus, what the hell _are you_?!" she exclaimed, her voice's pitch raising by a couple octaves.

Wu laughed softly. "No, I'm still every bit as much Homo sapiens sapiens as you are Vanessa, trust me. But I sincerely _am_ from another _world_ , as mad as I know that sounds. In fact, I actually **_am_** Dr. Henry Wu from the book Jurassic Park, from an alternate universe where it really, actually happened."

It seemed like a good half hour before she could finally shut her mouth, jaw hanging slack.

"You're either delusional or playing a grandiose joke on me," Vanessa said gravely, "and I don't know which idea is worse to consider."

Wu sighed sadly, and in noticeable exasperation too. "You see? This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you. But you forced my hand."

"I suppose I did," Vanessa replied warily. "But come on Henry, do you honestly expect me to believe that you're a fictional character from another universe?! Surely you're pulling my leg!"

"I'm not pulling your leg, Vanessa," Henry told her earnestly. " _And don't call me Shirley_ ," he added in his best Leslie Nielsen voice, laughing awkwardly at the joke.

Vanessa didn't laugh. Indeed, she was silent for a while.

"You asked for answers, and you're getting them," Wu pointed out, shrugging. "You know, few things irritate me more than people who demand the truth from somebody, and then they become totally unglued when they get their wish granted," he griped, the mild display of temper making Vanessa's muscles twitch.

"I'm not unglued," Vanessa replied hotly. "More like flustered and baffled, trying to come to terms with this. And I'm not taken aback by you telling me the truth Henry-it's about what you're claiming what the freaking truth _is_. Surely you can understand how _completely_ insane this is?! How insane it makes _you_ look?"

"Well, if you're wondering about my sanity-which I can't say I blame you for contemplating, quite frankly-you said it yourself: Would a crazy person like me be able to keep a job and conduct himself so well in both public and private?" Wu commented, gesturing at himself.

A valid point. But for all that, Vanessa felt the hair on her nape raising up, and she was suddenly very glad to be having a sturdy wooden table between her and him.

"And it might be a good time here to bring up a relevant quote by John B. Haldane: 'Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we **_can_** suppose.'" Wu went on. "I found out all about that during an incredible four day period," he amended. There was only sincerity in his eyes.

 _Maybe I should call the police,_ Vanessa thought, her breathing becoming ragged as she stared at him, feeling like a chipmunk staring into the eyes of a bullsnake. _Or get up and run away. Anything but stay in the same room as this nutcase._

 _He's not a nutcase, he's your boyfriend,_ another part of her protested. _You love him, and if he was some unstable psycho killer, he's had plenty of chances already to put you underground. But he hasn't. And you asked for the truth. The least you can do is give him your time._

She decided she could at least humor the man. And there was a true quality of sincerity to his voice…

Sensing her disbelief and agitation, Wu exhaled and calmly got to his feet.

"Stay there," he told her gently as he went to the fridge. Feeling as tense and baffled as a doe who's been startled by something, but still isn't sure where or if she should run, her eyes never left him as the hair on her nape stood up. Opening the door, he reached inside and grabbed a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Turning, he shut the door and crossed the floor to where she sat.

"Something tells me you might need this," he told her simply, wryly, as he placed the can of beer in front of her. She had to agree.

Wu sat back down and respectfully stayed quiet as, with shaking hands, Vanessa fumblingly popped the tab and chugged a few swallows as he watched her drink a third of the can.

"Reminds me of how Muldoon often dealt with stress," he commented. "Except he favored whiskey or gin for his purposes. Of course, you probably know this already from the book."

Putting the can down with a clink, Vanessa asked him, "Assuming that there is any truth to such a claim…How Henry? And why?"

"It's damned complicated," Wu told her, this man who claimed to be from another world, from a work of fiction. "But as with any story, I guess I'd better start at the beginning. First of all, do you know about the M.I.N.D Machine Bertram Phillips created for a science fair two years ago, ten years into what to me is the future?"

 _That explains why you're so behind the times when it comes to pop culture,_ she thought fleetingly. _I mean, how could you not know who The Beastie Boys are or have heard of the O.J. Simpson trial unless you were living in a mud hut?_

Vanessa's eyes widened. " _Yes_ ," she replied. "I was there Henry! I saw it go on the fritz myself, send out these bolts of blue electricity that struck down Bertram and three other students, putting them into comas for several minutes. We were all so shocked, in a panic, wondering if one of us would be next." She shook her head. "It was one hell of a way to add excitement to a gadget demonstration."

"Did Bertram or any of the other students that got hit by the discharges from the machine tell or write weird accounts, stories, about being in other bodies, back in other times?"

Vanessa was stunned, her jaw dropping as she looked at Wu.

"Yes," she said in astonishment. "How did you know? Bertram later wrote a series of tales in the school newsletter about four teens who'd been zapped by a very similar machine, and been sent back into the Late Cretaceous by what Bertram called 'The Lightning Road,' finding themselves in the bodies of dinosaurs. Then they had to go on a journey to do something or other at the Standing Stones to get back to their own time and human bodies. There were rumors going around the halls about their experiences as well, that they'd actually happened to Bertram and the other three students. Naturally, I never took them seriously. Until now," she said in wonder.

"Those stories of his are real Vanessa," Wu told her matter-of-factly. "I know, because, for reasons I'll probably never understand, even though I was minding my own business on Isla Nublar, on another earth in another universe, I've ridden The Lightning Road too."

"Are you serious?" she said in bemused shock, blinking. Goosebumps rose on her nape and arms.

"Oh, completely. In a way that must've been sheer near-impossible chance, something that would only happen once in hundreds of thousands of times, Bertram's science project malfunctioned in such a way as to be capable of sending a human awareness far back into prehistory to pilot the body of a now long-dead creature."

Vanessa's mind raced. She felt almost like a member of an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon or New Guinea might feel on their first encounter with a white person, the shock of suddenly realizing that reality was so much stranger and bigger and more surprising and filled with fantastic possibilities then her limited mind had ever conceived of from its equally circumscribed experience. She stared in awe at her boyfriend from another world, and a chill washed over her, not of fear but of wonder.

He gave her a smile that both expressed his own amused incredulity and contained the wisdom of a man forty years his senior.

"All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little," he knowingly, softly quoted. "In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge."

Vanessa could just mechanically nod before she look another long swallow of Pabst.

"How-how did this happen to _you_ , Henry?" she said at length. "This fantastic miracle? What transpired to drag you into it?"

"Well Vanessa, the second time the M.I.N.D. machine was turned on, it was Mr. London, not Bertram, who simply couldn't resist the idea of taking a ride on the Lightning Road into the age of dinosaurs as well."

She nodded blankly. "I'm not surprised. Although I don't work in the science department, even _I_ soon came to know that Rob became deeply obsessed in the aftermath with Bertram's 'stories,' that machine he'd made, and above all, dinosaurs in general."

"Now, it's my understanding," Wu informed her, this man who'd once lived in the world of a New York Times best-selling novel in another universe, "that when Mr. London went down into the basement where the machine was, he took a copy of Jurassic Park with him."

"And that's where you came in."

Wu nodded. "I was in the control room, listening to Grant, Malcolm, and the other people on the 'sneak peek' tour reacting to the tyrannosaur and how dangerous they felt it was over the radio when the blue lightning hit me. It also hit Nedry and Muldoon as well. I don't pretend to understand how or why it was able to penetrate that barrier between universes, but it did," he shrugged flatly. "Next minute, I find myself in the body of a spike-thumbed, three-and-a-half ton Iguanodon bull…"

Thirty-two minutes and another can of calming, bracing Pabst Blue Ribbon later, Vanessa Park stared, hypnotized, as Henry Wu put his shirt back over his body-his _cloned_ body!-and sat back down.

"Wow," was all she could say.

Vanessa decided to guzzle some more Pabst as she kept her eyes locked on Wu's face. Her heart was going like a sewing machine. Her palms and wrists felt sweaty. She was filled with both awe and trepidation, with both wild joy and suspicion of the unknown, awestricken and bewildered. She wanted to burst out laughing at the idea that Bertram's tales were actually true, that students she saw and taught had experienced life as dinosaurs in a time long before history, and because she'd never met anyone half as extraordinary as Henry, now that he'd laid himself bare to her.

 _Ain't never had a boyfriend like me_ , she thought giddily.

She also wanted to cry because in the aftermath of finding out about her ex-husband's infidelity and their subsequent divorce, Vanessa had been so crushed, came to view her life as having become dark, bleak, and pointless, had only been able to go through the motions for a time.

But now…now she almost felt like both God (and the Dinoverse scientists) had sent the formerly perceived as fictional geneticist, this Chinese-American real-life Lazarus, her way not only to give him a second chance, but to amaze and educate her, to remind her that the universe was full of surprises and that giving up on love was a mistake when a person had no true understanding of the purpose-and fantastic, strange possibilities-of existence.

Vanessa wanted to give a giddy laugh, but her laughter then began to transform into a choking sob. But when she allowed the sob free reign, it then became a laugh. When she tried to stand and move towards Wu, she realized that she was even shakier than before, too shaky at the moment to properly move. So she did the only thing she really could resort to.

"Fuck it," she said in resignation as she settled back down in her chair and took another foamy swig of Pabst.

Wu was now giving her a wary, sidelong look from his own chair, regarding her in a way that indicated he strongly suspected his girlfriend had gone mad from his revelations.

The irony of it all, of him suspecting _her_ to be the hysterical one here, drew another hyena giggle out of her.

"Are you okay Vanessa?" he asked in concern.

She nodded. Many moons ago, the white-hot anguish, the scalding pool of betrayal the discovery of her adored husband's adultery had plunged Vanessa Park into, had sent her into a form of temporary insanity. But she'd healed and moved on now.

"I'm all right Henry," she assured him through her tears. "You've just gotta understand though…this is like something out of an episode of _Unsolved Mysteries_ or that _In Search Of_ series with Spock as narrator."

"I do," Wu replied. "These are things I never would've believed possible if I hadn't experienced them myself."

Vanessa then put down the can of Pabst, wiped the tears from her eyes with the backs of her graceful hands. Then she held them out to Henry as she said gently, "Come here, Dr. Wu."

He hesitated, then walked over to her.

She took his hands in her own, and gently guided him down into a squatting position.

"You amaze me and petrify me, Henry."

"I don't ever want you to be scared of me," Wu said automatically. "Patience, Zane, Will, Bob, everyone else who knows the truth, they're not scared of me, are totally trusting. Hell, Patience _loves_ me, Vanessa!"

"I know," Vanessa responded. "That sorta came out a bit wrong, and I'm sorry about that. Maybe it would be better to say I'm getting an eerie feeling from this business."

Wu smiled wanly. "To say the least."

"It's still a trial for my mind to accept where you came from or how you got to be here in Wetherford...but I'm also very glad you're here Henry Wu. I love you, you're my man, you're alive-and that's all that really matters," she smiled. "Whether you're from a techno-thriller book universe or not."

"Thank you," he told her, as he nodded. "I'm very glad to hear that. And I could express equal sentiments."

Vanessa glanced at his abdomen, suddenly remembering back to the part in the novel where his character-no, him!-had been gutted alive by the raptors.

Henry's face shimmered through sudden, scalding tears, and Vanessa lowered her head as she began crying again.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Wu said gently as he slipped his right hand from her grasp and comfortingly stroked her shoulders. "Are you still having problems coming to terms with all this? You'll get used to it in time, Vanessa. And like you said, the important thing is that we love each other and are tog-"

"It's not that," Vanessa replied as she shook her head, a tremor in her voice. "I'm crying for another reason, because it breaks my heart to think and know that you suffered at the end, in your own body and your own world, that you experienced such fear and pain. And that nobody even _tried_ to help you, that you died alone... That's what's upsetting me."

Wu embraced her and rocked her gently.

"It was awful," he admitted. "A hellish thing I wouldn't wish on the most evil of men. But this revenant is here now, and what happened to me is in the past. Thanks to Toswai and Loong Fuchan, I'm here, and still in a mortal body. Shhh…" he reassured her tenderly.

After a few minutes, her tears of horror and distress trailed off.

Vanessa Park looked up into Wu's eyes as he stood, telling him with feeling, "I love you Henry. Don't ever put yourself into a position where you could come to harm if you don't have to, okay? It would devastate me if I lost you."

Wu gravely nodded. "I won't if I can help it."

He was silent for a few seconds.

Wu then told her, "And if anything-Jesus forbid-ever happened to _you_ Vanessa…or to Patience...it would destroy me. I honestly think I'd die."

"You'd die if you lost me? Really?"

"Oh, yes. I've come to value you and Patience more than any of the dinosaurs I ever cloned on Isla Nublar, Vanessa. Believe me when I say this: I'd die of grief."

* * *

It was a breathtakingly gorgeous spring evening in Yellowstone National Park when Henry Wu took that last great leap in the dark to bring his relationship with Vanessa to its ultimate conclusion.

It was Saturday evening of Memorial Day weekend, and Vanessa had suggested to Wu that the holiday weekend would be a wonderful opportunity to go spend a few days seeing Yellowstone in all its natural splendor.

He'd agreed, and when Patience and Will had gotten wind of it, they'd insisted on coming along for the trip.

So, after getting making sure they'd both gotten permission from their parents, Vanessa had rented a JayFeather RV and hitched it to the Explorer. A shopping trip or two for food, gear, and other essentials, clothes packed into suitcases, and off they went to America's playground.

While the Lamar Valley was in a rather remote, somewhat difficult to access area of the park, it evidently couldn't be beat when it came to wildlife watching.

Happily, it turned out to live up to the hype-and then some.

Through the spotting scopes set up on the side of the road, their own binoculars, and the naked eye, Wu, Jessica, Will and Patience all gazed in wonder and delight at an American Serengeti of sagebrush and grass, filled with elk, bison, pronghorn, coyotes, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and coolest of all, a sighting of wolves.

They'd had the good fortune to see four wolves unsuccessfully try to run down a pronghorn buck, then optimistically harass a breeding herd of bison, trying to pick off a russet-colored calf before being forced to give up and move on.

Now they were taking turns watching a grizzly bear and her two yearling cubs through a spotting scope as the bear family feasted on the carcass of an elk cow the resident wolf pack had killed the night before, ravens and magpies standing and fluttering around to dart in and grab a few bites before a bear chased them away. Three coyotes also cautiously slunk around the perimeter, like jackals.

They weren't the only tourists taking in the spectacle. Lots of other people had been willing to come out into this part of the backcountry as well.

As Vanessa backed away from the spotting scope to let Patience get a better look at a bald eagle which had just landed near the carcass, she suddenly heard Wu say decisively, "I guess this is as good a place in Yellowstone as anywhere."

Confused, she turned to the right to see him standing four feet away, right hand in his pocket as he gave her a warm, knowing smile and screwed up his courage.

"I was planning to do this at Old Faithful," he said by way of explanation as it began to dawn on Vanessa what her Oh Henry was about to do and some other people knowingly looked in their direction, "but a magnificent wildlife spectacle like this forms a pretty nice stage too."

Time seemed to stop for Vanessa as she watched Henry Wu then drop to one knee in the gravel, extract a gray suede box out of his pocket, and flip open its lid to reveal a single carat diamond, set in a white gold band, which shattered the rich gold of the evening light into rainbow prisms.

"Vanessa Park," he said with authority as his beautiful brown-black eyes hopefully, boldly looked up into hers, "will you marry me, a man who's from a whole different world?"

Vanessa was only half-aware of how all the other tourists were turning and watching Henry's proposal of marriage with equally hopeful, thrilled expectation. His proposal wasn't entirely unforeseen. She'd had the strong sense for some time that this development had been in the cards, would happen any day now.

But for all that, she was somewhat taken aback by the sheer _immediacy_ of this, that it was happening right here and right now. But wasn't that how so many things happened in a person's life, taking them somewhat by surprise?

"Yes," she found herself saying as her throat tightened. "Yes I will, Henry Wu."

He gave a beatific smile as he took her hand and slipped the ring on.

Will and Patience looked at each other and whooped in delight, giving each other high-fives as they leapt into the air and the other tourists clapped and cheered in celebration.

"Yes! Yes!" Patience cried as she flung her hands into the air. "Whoo!"

As Wu got back to his feet and took both her hands, Vanessa found herself starting to cry. But they were very much the good type of tears.

"I truly can't ever think of a time when I've been happier to see a plan of mine come off so well," Will said, voice thick with emotion. "Congratulations, Henry and Vanessa!"

"Definitely," Patience grinned. "Yes, yes, yes!"

They embraced and kissed as the other tourists applauded again. Vanessa then heard Patience say under her breath, voice saturated with joy and bliss, "And it looks like I just had a wish of my own come true too."

* * *

On Labor Day, 2001, Vanessa Park officially became Vanessa Wu, the wife of a man who was out of time, out of a science fiction tale, given a new chance at life in a body and world that wasn't his own.

While her adoptive father, Gordon Wickerloff, ended up being the one to give her away, William Reilly had been a serious candidate for the honor. His baby brother, Garrett Reilly, served as ring bearer.

As it was, Will got to be one of the groomsmen, standing in a tuxedo and black dress pants alongside Henry's best man. As much as Wu would've loved to have Robert Muldoon around to play the role, that obviously wasn't possible. So the honor went to Steven Aimes instead. The sergeant hadn't thought twice about accepting Wu's offer.

Vanessa's maid of honor was her good friend Marie Anthony, with Patience serving as one of the bridesmaids, while the niece of one of Vanessa's other friends, seven year old Carla Sampson, acted as an adorable flower girl…one whom Garrett soon took an endearing liking to.

The ceremony was held in Winston Park, with Father Simon Chaloux presiding.

The weather couldn't have been more superb, sunny with puffy cumulus clouds.

Everything went off beautifully, even though Henry found himself sweating from both the summer heat and sheer nerves as he watched Vanessa, made-up face shrouded by a veil, striding down the wine-red carpet as "The Wedding March," was played on the piano, heart pounding in his chest.

They exchanged vows, then rings. Their very first kiss as man and wife, two people from two different universes joining together in matrimony, was both a blissful and dreamlike experience, accompanied by a burst of cheering and applause from the guests, the air suddenly filling with a triumphant crescendo of music. And it was the most completing, sweetest kiss Henry Wu had ever known. He was grateful beyond words to have taken the initiative, and been granted a second chance to revel in this act.

"I now pronounce you man and wife!" Father Chaloux's voice rang out through the pleasantly warm air as Henry and Vanessa Wu then turned together, hands clasped, to face their ecstatic guests and friends.

At the reception, the main course was a slow-roasted pig and several ducks roasted Cantonese-style. The first toast was made by the man who was most responsible for this strange marriage and turn of events in Henry Wu's life, Robert London, now back from his sabbatical. Bertram Phillips was the second in line to give a speech.

And when Wu finally stood and spoke himself, nobody who'd ridden the weird Lightning Road from Bertram's fantastic machine and knew the insane truth about the geneticist could maintain a dry eye when Wu looked right at his new wife and told her, "I love you, Vanessa. All of time itself, the incomprehensible vastness of former eons, the greatest of scientific achievements, the most fantastic of adventures, would mean nothing to me without you by my side."

The wedding cake was four tiers of red velvet, artfully covered in red-dyed white chocolate frosting. At the apex was perched a topper showing a general likeness of Wu in his tuxedo wrapping his arms around Vanessa's waist while she put her slender arms around his neck. A baby sauropod pressed itself against the calves of Wu's figure, while a baby stegosaur leaned against Vanessa's legs, both dinosaurs staring up at the new couple's faces in abject joy.

* * *

Later on that momentous day, four hours after the sun had gone down, Max raised his head in surprise from where he'd been chewing a rawhide bone in the living room of his owner's home.

From behind the closed bedroom door, over the sounds of Toni Braxton's "Secrets" album playing on repeat, Vanessa suddenly said, "Oh Henry."

But this time, there was no teasing affection behind the words. They were spoken with a separate, rather more profound, soulful type of passion.

The erstwhile head geneticist of Jurassic Park was occupying himself with a far different, much more personal and intimate method of working with DNA.

"Light my fire, blow my flame, take me, take me, take me away," Toni Braxton's recorded voice sang for both of them.

After the act was done, they kissed, talked lovingly to each other, shut the CD player off, and contentedly fell asleep in each other's embrace on their sides.

In the small hours of the morning, they awoke, and repeated the passionate coupling a second time. This time, Vanessa mounted her new husband as he lay on his back, the opposite of what they'd done before. Looking up at her face and breasts as they joined, stroking them with his hands, Henry decided that he really needed nothing else in the world.

* * *

On December 27th, 2001, the fourth day of their honeymoon, Vanessa opened the sliding glass door of their suite at the Kauai Marriott Hotel and walked out onto the balcony, which overlooked the splendid, massive flower shaped outdoor pool and farther away, the Pacific ocean. Henry was standing at the railing, drinking a strawberry daiquiri and soaking up the late afternoon sun. While he'd been enjoying every minute of their honeymoon, there seemed to be something troubled, wistful, in his almond eyes right now.

They'd taken a helicopter ride earlier that day, a sightseeing tour along the lush, furrowed cliffs of the Na Pali coast. It was the same landscape which greeted Grant, Malcolm, and the others on their arrival to Isla Nublar in the movie.

Henry was lightly frowning.

"Hey gorgeous," she greeted him. "What's wrong? You still feel bad that we couldn't celebrate Christmas with Will and Patience? Don't worry, there'll be plenty of years ahead to-"

He shook his head. "It's not that. I'm just thinking about the wedding we had, who was there...or more specifically, who wasn't there."

"Your parents," Vanessa replied, tenderly placing her hand on his shoulder, stroking him. "And your brother, sisters."

He sadly nodded. "They'd be so proud of me, to see their son and brother be married off, and delighted to meet and get to know you, Vanessa."

"I'm sure they would be," she said softly. "I think I've read before that in Chinese culture, marriages traditionally are approved, even set up, by the parents of both spouses. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's true."

"Do you think your parents and siblings, if they could be here right now-would they approve of me, Henry?"

He turned, and gently smiled at her.

"Yes," he told her. "You've got all the qualities they'd deem worthy of a good wife and great future mother in our culture," he said as he kissed her on the lips. "And most of all, they'd see how we complete each other so well."

Vanessa smiled, and pressed herself against Henry's side as he wrapped his free arm around her. They were both silent, enjoying the feel of the warm wind and the scent of the salt air as Wu finished his daiquiri. Then they went back into their hotel room and had sex again, Vanessa's fingers tracing the white scar that ran from chest to hip across his belly.

Later in the evening, they both went down to Duke's restaurant on the hotel grounds for a seafood dinner, where they also shamelessly knocked back their fair share of mai tais. After having actually died once before, Henry Wu had become a man who now showed a greater willingness to revel in life, to embrace its simple, blissful pleasures. It rubbed off on Vanessa too.

At one point, an older British tourist, in his late forties or early fifties, heavily muscled and sporting a walrus mustache, sauntered by their table, talking to his curly-haired wife, their sandals slapping against the flagstone.

Perhaps it was the liquor speaking, but Vanessa suddenly found herself glaring in hatred at the man, a red coal growing in her belly as she said simply, "Fuck Muldoon."

A bite of seared yellowfin tuna halfway to his mouth, Wu's eyes widened in disbelief as he let the fork drop with an audible clink on his plate.

"What did you just say?" he said as he stared at her.

"You heard me," she replied. "Fuck Muldoon. Preferably with a cactus!"

"Okay, why would you ever say a thing like that about Rob?" Wu said challengingly. "Because I really don't appreciate that you're talking about one of my former co-workers and friends at the park that way, Vanessa." His voice was a low growl.

"Yeah, some fucking friend," Vanessa snorted. "He's the reason he's a former co-worker in the first place. That cowardly son of a bitch shut the door on you Henry, left you to be eaten alive by the raptors without even trying to save you," she spat, eyes feeling heated as her throat tightened.

Wu glanced down at his food, lips tightening.

"Well, what else was he supposed to do Vanessa?" he said softly, regretfully. "Rob was unarmed, and it would've been two of them against one of him."

"He was a strong man," Vanessa snapped. "He could've grabbed a metal bar or something like that, beaten them to a pulp or at least crippled them, given them enough of a hurt to make them back off from you and then drag you inside. I know I would've, without a second thought."

Her new husband's head jerked up, eyes widening as he stared at her.

"That's a really nice sentiment Vanessa," he told her gravely, "but you can't even begin to appreciate how fast these velociraptors were, their reflexes and speed and how incredibly quick they were in producing devastating wounds within mere seconds. How swift the attack on me was." He bowed his head and shuddered.

Looking up at her again, he told her sternly, "Don't you _dare_ blame or criticize Muldoon for failing to act on my behalf, Vanessa. The damage had already been done by then, and if he'd tried to intervene, then there would either be two dead people out there, or one of the raptors would've darted inside and killed everybody. It was already nothing short of a miracle that Ellie was able to get away from them."

"Well, I know that I couldn't have been able to look at that happening and not at least try to save you, help you, if I'd been there," she declared firmly.

"Your sense of devotion is commendable," Wu replied with a touched smile. "But the raptors would've killed you just as easily as they'd have killed Rob. No, I wouldn't want to ever have you just throw your life away like that," he told her, shaking his head. "No matter how much you'd be tempted, or how strongly your instincts would demand it. I'd far rather see you stay safe and live on."

"Speaking of which, someone could've at least taken the opportunity to drag you inside while the raptors were chasing Ellie, then shut the door. Maybe Harding could've done something to save you."

"And what exactly could've he done for me at that point, Vanessa?" Wu asked. "I was already going into deep shock, and had lost quite a bit of blood by then...and there weren't any blood banks of any sort on the island anyhow," he shrugged. "Not to mention the fact that large parts of my liver and small bowel had been consumed. Trauma like that does tend to be irreversible and fatal, you know."

"Yeah, I get that. But at least you wouldn't have died alone Henry," Vanessa said, her voice now a half sob. "That's something that tears me to pieces inside, every time I consider it."

"I know," Wu sighed, averting his gaze. "And yeah, it-it was a rough, lonely way to go out."

"And I have no idea what ended up happening to your body in your world on that island," she said softly, "but I do know this Henry: that I would've stayed by you and held your hand until the last breath. And after that...all I can say is that those Costa Rican soldiers would've had to fucking pry me off your body first before getting me into one of the choppers."

"I also don't doubt that. But let's just focus on how I'm right here, right now, with you." Wu told her as he smiled. "The way I died, what Rob, Harding, and the others did or didn't do-it's water under the bridge Vanessa. I'm just so glad to have gotten a second chance at life in a different world, and I don't blame anyone for what happened in my last moments. Rob did what was best at that moment, in that situation. You get that?"

She nodded grudgingly.

"And if the raptors hadn't killed me," he pointed out, "Toswai and Loong Fuchan would never have had a reason then to clone me a new body, capture my dying awareness, and then send me to this alternate earth, where Patience and I were reunited, and then I met you and took you as my wife. Weird as it seems, I'm actually glad now that I died," he laughed.

She had to giggle in amusement as well, in a fit of silliness that was a reaction to having to process such an insane concept. "I guess I am too. Wait, I know I am. Yeah, dare I say it, but you being gutted by velociraptors was kind of the best thing that ever happened to the three of us!"

Even later that night, Henry and Vanessa each had a pina colada, and then, in a spirit that was both musically and romantically inspired, made love at midnight as the moon shone through their window.

As they held each other and caught their breaths, Vanessa smiled as she felt Henry's hands begin to caress her permed tresses, savoring the feel.

"So," he said in pleased amusement, "just to make sure, was that as good for you as it was for me, I hope? And yeah, I know that's somewhat of a clichéd question now."

"Hey, it works," Vanessa said as she kissed her husband on the mouth. "And once more, my sexy Chinaman didn't disappoint. You know how to live up to my expectations every time," she grinned before kissing him again.

He grinned, saying, "Well, how can I give that beautiful body of yours anything less?" before kissing her own lips then.

She smiled back and stroked his side.

"Those Dinoverse scientists were right," she said softly. "You really do have a beautiful mind, Henry. And a beautiful heart, too. A beautiful soul."

"That's really sweet of you to say," Wu replied, touched, as he reached out and stroked her cheek. "And I'd say quite a bit of credit goes to both you and Patience for helping bring them out. So thank you."

And gently, passionately, tenderly, a husband and wife from two different earths kissed again.

* * *

As Zane would say, anything worth doing was worth doing twice.

And so it was in that spirit that Henry Wu conceded to his new wife's desire to have a traditional Korean wedding in addition to their previous formal Western one.

On the morning of Easter Saturday, 2002, at the Wickerloff house outside Boise, Idaho, the ceremony was held. Before it commenced, Wu, wearing a black hat with gold foil accents and shaped somewhat like a large lower-case B in side view, dressed in an outfit of flowing, royal blue silk, formally presented Vanessa's foster mother, Janice Wickerloff, with a live blue-phase snow goose he'd purchased from a waterfowl breeder.

After having some pictures taken of Wu, Janice, and Vanessa all holding the confused, struggling bird, the snow goose was then released into the pond on the Wickerloff's property.

Wild geese mate for life, and so the gift was meant to signify and promise to Janice Wickerloff that Wu would stand by her adoptive daughter all of his days.

Wearing the gwanbok, courtier-style traditional clothing, did make Wu feel like he looked distinctly ridiculous. The fact that he'd had pink lipstick and eyeliner applied to his face didn't help his sense of dignity.

But Vanessa, dressed in her voluminous scarlet and pink short silk jacket with its long, colorfully trimmed sleeves, and blue full length, wrap around tent of a skirt, forehead and cheeks ornamented with red circles of makeup, head crowned by an ornate, almost Ancient Egyptian like headpiece with a pair of embroidered strips of thick cloth that draped over her shoulders…now there was someone who he felt the traditional attire truly suited and perfected.

And if Henry Wu felt that his clothing made him look odd, there was comfort to be had in the fact that the four attendants carrying him in a sedan chair to the altar and the other four carrying Vanessa in an open-fronted palanquin looked no less curious in their outfits, his litter carriers wearing pink silk vests over loose white cotton clothes, Vanessa's bearers wearing ones of blue silk.

The guys in both groups all wore somewhat beehive shaped, broad-brimmed straw hats too, not exactly the sort of headgear any of them would wear willingly. But as a general rule, everyone was a good sport about playing their role and bearing the weight of Henry and Vanessa down the driveway and over the lawn.

And Wu was immensely proud to be having them play this role. The emotion was only natural. And mutual.

For Will and Zane were manning two of the poles, while Bertram and Mike were each holding one of Vanessa's litter.

The ceremony involved all sorts of rather curious traditions, centered around a table over which a great silk cloth was draped, half of it red, half of it blue, the contrasting colors symbolizing the Ying/Yan philosophy of Taoism. Henry stood behind the blue half, while Vanessa stood behind the red one. Lots of bowing was done, and they poured out alcohol for friends and family members, both groom and bride sharing a special type of white wine between them, drinking out of separate gourd cups before blending the contents into one and then sharing sips.

Bringing all his strength to bear, Henry Wu gave his wife a ride on his back at one point in the ceremony. Its purpose was to act as a literal symbol of the obligation he'd taken upon himself to support his new wife, see her through whatever might come.

At another point, in the closest thing to kissing that took place in the ceremony, Henry and Vanessa engaged in the traditional practice of feeding each other Korean dates by mouth, reminding Henry of how parrots and parakeets shared regurgitated food with their mates.

And of course, there were the pictures after pictures after picture that were taken of the new couple.

At the reception, two people who Henry didn't recognize came walking up to them. One was an extremely tall Asian man, six feet six inches, wearing black dress pants, brown shoes, and a pressed sky blue button-up shirt with a bronze and red striped tie. Wu guessed he was Manchurian in ethnicity.

His companion was a short, slightly overweight Native American woman, wearing a simple frilly purple cotton dress, her black hair pinned back in a ponytail. She wore brown leather cowboy boots, and a lovely gorget of turquoise stones and silver hung around her neck.

Wu didn't recognize either of them-although a little part of him felt like he _should_ recognize them. He glanced at Vanessa, who was equally puzzled, and then back at the duo. Were these two strangers wedding crashers, here to have a good meal and time on their dollar? Or had they simply come to gawk out of curiosity, see what was going on with these strange people in their weird outfits?

They certainly didn't seem menacing though, not with the warm, wide smiles on their faces.

"Congratulations on your marriage Henry," the man said as he offered a hand. "Congratulations, Vanessa."

Slipping back the voluminous blue silk sleeve of his gwanbok, Henry hesitantly smiled as he shook the stranger's hand.

"Yes, we are so delighted for you!" the Native American woman fondly agreed as she opened her arms and warmly embraced Vanessa.

"Do I know you two?" Wu suspiciously inquired, raising an eyebrow. "I don't remember inviting either of you to attend..."

"You didn't," the Manchurian man confirmed.

"Then why are you both here?" he asked them calmly.

"Simply to wish you well," the Native American woman replied with a smile. "The union of marriage is always a magical, joyous thing, and we came to add our voices and joy to the celebration, to delight in how the two of you have now become something bigger and completing in your love."

"We also came to bring some gifts," the tall Asian man mentioned. "Here," he told Wu as he held out a rectangular object covered in green wrapping paper, "this is for you, Henry."

"And this is for the lovely new bride," the woman smiled as she offered Vanessa a small box, also wrapped, in silver gift wrap.

"Aww, you shouldn't have!" Vanessa gushed as she took the gift. "How sweet of you two to do this on our special day!"

"Any time," the Asian man gently smiled.

Wu nodded in agreement as he accepted the other man's present. It felt like a paperback book. "Yes. Thank you both for such a nice gesture."

Pointing at the gift, the stranger told Wu, "Not to give too much away, but you've just gotten yourself a new book, Henry. What the title is though, I'm not telling," he added with a sly smile.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be good," Wu said. "When it gets warmer out, it'll be just the thing to read outside in the spring sunshine."

"Yes, that's a superb time and place to indulge in reading a good book," the tall man agreed. "Perhaps the best time. I'm quite certain you'll both be very happy with your gifts, and with each other."

Turning to his companion, he said, "There's no purpose in sticking around here any longer, I'm afraid. Time for us to go."

The Native American woman nodded. "Time to go back to where we belong."

Wu and Vanessa watched them leave, making their way among the crowd of guests in their traditional Korean attire.

Suddenly, before they could go too far, Henry Wu cried out, "Wait a moment! What are your names, if I may ask?"

Both of the strangers briefly halted in their tracks, then turned to look at the couple a final time.

The Native American woman gave a shrewd Mona Lisa smile. "Why do you ask if you already know the answer?" she replied teasingly.

And then they both walked away, elegant and inscrutable as a pair of cougars.

It would be a couple days before Henry and Vanessa were able to open all the presents from their guests. When they did, they each got a serious shock when they opened the ones from the pair of strangers.

When Vanessa opened the gift from the strange Native American woman, it proved to be an ornate silver necklace, two inches deep and composed of miniature metal sauropods, tails and necks intertwined in a chain, bits of malachite serving as eyes and pure copper for foot claws. With it came a note.

 _Enjoy a bit of master craftsmanship from the Dinoverse. Wishing you the best as a new bride, Toswai the Deinonychus._

As for Wu's present, it did indeed, prove to be a book. A copy of _Sphere_ , by good old Crichton. Nothing unexpected about that on the surface-until he saw the title page.

On it was written a second note, meant for his eyes only. _Remember, the past is what is past, and the future and our dreams are what we choose to view them as,_ it said. _Change your state of mind, and you can also change the world Henry. Warmest wishes from your alter ego in the Dinoverse, Loong Fuchan._

* * *

Despite the blissful enjoyment of married life and his new circumstances in eastern Montana, Wu never forgot the dreams he'd been so close to achieving, the things he'd accomplished at Hammond's park, his abruptly interrupted life, the wonders he'd performed in the labs…and the promise he'd made to Toswai and Loong Fuchan.

It was three years after their Korean wedding ceremony, on a warm day in mid-August, when Vanessa Wu was taking Max for a walk, that her cell phone suddenly rang.

Holding on to Max's leash with one hand, she used the other to extract the phone from her pants pocket. The caller was from a number she'd marked as **Oh Henry** , all the way down in Houston, toiling away in a laboratory.

Eagerly, Vanessa flipped it open and put the phone to her ear as she said, "Hi there Henry. What's going on?"

Wu's voice seethed with enthusiasm and triumph and pride and astonishment as he declared, "Something wonderful, that's what's going on, gorgeous!"

Time seemed to stop as she grinned in joy and wonder. "You mean that you've finally-"

"Yes," Wu's voice told her over the phone. "I did it, and as I promised, you have the honor of being the first to know. We've just had the first live hatching of a healthy Edmontonsaurus in sixty-five million years."

* * *

 **And now Henry, Vanessa, and Patience have all come together to form a quasi-official blended family. :)**

 **Enjoy the satisfying upcoming ending, and as always, please review after you read!**


	50. Chapter 50

**Well, here we are, after six long months. Here is the ending at long last. I hope you guys have found reading this crossover fic as much fun as it has been for me to write it.**

 **Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year A.D. 2016, everybody!**

* * *

In east-central Texas, twenty minutes north of the town of Jasper and carved out of the humid, low-lying, cypress swamp country between the Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend reservoirs, was an incredible theme park named Cretaceous Kingdom, where delighted human beings of all ages, nations, races, religions and careers could live their collective fantasy, could marvel in delight and disbelieving awe at the enchanting, humbling spectacle of breathing, moving dinosaurs.

As Hammond had foreseen to Wu in another world and another time, it was the world's children who loved the place and its prehistoric residents most of all. And perhaps no children were luckier and more envied than those who had the privilege of living on Cretaceous Kingdom's grounds.

On July 17th, 2013, one of these fortunate children, Portia Reilly, celebrated her sixth birthday at the park. Guests were greeted at the door of a ranch house by Patience Reilly, her belly swollen by an unborn baby that in two months, would become Portia's baby sister.

The party was a double feature, shared with eight year old Michael Wu, who'd been born on July 14th, 2005. His own parents also called him by the Cantonese name of Fenghwong Toong-"son of the phoenix."

Many of the similar aged children who'd been invited to Portia and Michael's mutual birthday party went to kindergarten with her, or had been in second grade with him at Jean C. Few Primary School in Jasper, respectively. But other party guests lived much closer to home. For one thing, there was Bob Reilly, Portia's three-year-old baby brother.

And then there were all the children of Cretaceous Kingdom's staff members.

Present at the party were five year old twin brothers Rex and Gideon Phillips, and their adopted sister from Vietnam, seven year old Jane. Their father, Bertram Phillips, creator of the M.I.N.D. machine, served both as the head programmer for the park's computer network and an invaluable consultant about its dinosaurs, informing Wu and his fellow researchers about how the dinosaurs should properly look and behave. Their mother, Candyace Phillips, was Cretaceous Kingdom's marketing manager.

Four year old Robin McIreney was also there. Her father, Zane, worked on staff as assistant head programmer by day, and made the crowds howl with laughter as "Zig Zag Zany" at night in Crichton's Comedy Club. He also dropped the beats in style after 10 pm at the adults-only Dilophosaurus Dance Club as _DJ Philosoraptor_. His wife, Naomi, had given birth to a baby boy, Ed McIreney, nine months ago.

Seven year old Melissa Aimes attended too. Her father, Aaron Aimes, worked as a security guard for the dinosaur park…although to be perfectly frank, he seldom saw any actual action. And that was just the way he liked it. Claire Aimes helped to plan and direct landscaping efforts in the park.

And then there was six year old Malcolm, the son of Mike Petervesky. His Costa Rican wife, Claudia, helped to produce and distribute Spanish-language brochures, television ads, and other forms of advertising, locally and globally. Claudia was currently four months pregnant with a baby boy. Mike worked as a tour guide for Cretaceous Kingdom, and could often be seen in the company of Will Reilly, chief theropod handler.

Considering that Will now forever had the awareness and instincts of an Acrocanthosaurus locked within him, no man could possibly be better qualified for such an important and risky position-and true to form, he always had great ideas for new projects and attractions to bring in the visitors.

And perhaps it was G.K.'s predator instincts, maybe his matured sense of masculinity, but Will Reilly had developed a real yen for hunting and fishing too. Deer or pig hunting from stands over bait or just trails, pig hunting with catch dogs, duck hunting, bowfishing, spearfishing the oil rigs in the Gulf, gator hunts with harpoon or set line in the swamps, he enjoyed them all.

Henry sometimes went along on these trips with his pseudo son-in-law, and had become a master freediver and spearfisherman in his own right.

Five year old Kyle Fairehouse was there as well, the adopted son of Janine Fairhouse and her partner, Margaret.

Last but by no means least, there were the other two children of the man Portia called "Grandpa Henry."

Sadly, Robert London was missing. He'd died in a car crash two years previously. His last words had allegedly been a resigned yet perversely excited, "This is it for me I guess. I wonder what great adventure I'm headed off to next…"

Montana Max too, was gone. Several months ago, he'd developed a severe case of pneumonia, one that his aged body simply couldn't muster the strength to fight off. With great sadness, Wu and his family had accepted that the kindest thing to do for their dog was to have him painlessly put to sleep.

But now a new German shepherd puppy was filling Max's shoes in Henry's home.

It was not only the kids, but the adults too who had a fine day, a grand time. This was especially true for Wu and everyone else who'd ridden Bertram's Lightning Road across time and bodies, not only because they were good friends, colleagues, and just plain delighted to be with each other, but because they shared a private awe, a secret wonder and joy that would forever bind them into one enormous extended family.

The road Henry Wu had had to take to get to this point had not been easy in any way or form. For one thing, back in his birth world, it had been Hammond who'd so directly, confidently approached Wu at Stanford and offered him the funding and opportunity to clone dinosaurs.

This second go-round however, had seen things be turned on their head. Now, it had been _Wu's_ responsibility to contact as many extremely rich potential sponsors as he could and make his pitch to them. It hadn't been the smoothest sailing.

For one thing, a confident, boldly optimistic we-can-do-this-together attitude wasn't something that came naturally to Henry Wu. And time after time, the hoped-for corporate sponsors would flatly tell him pretty much the same thing when you boiled it down…that while the idea of cloning dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals was pretty cool, they had much better and less risky things to do with their billions than piss it down a rat hole for a project with minimal odds of success.

But the pervasive sensation of dominance and strength, the confidence and power Wu had felt in his Iguanodon body, had stuck with him to no small degree when he was back in his human one.

And of course, if he'd ever been the sort to give up or give in readily, he'd never have produced the first Jurassic Park's assortment of dinosaurs in his true world.

At last, when Wu was becoming psychologically exhausted, felt blue in the face from proposing, and so dispirited from all the rejections he was close to giving up, he'd come across a Texan oilman who was willing to lend an ear. The fact that his first name was actually Rex seemed a very good sign in itself to Wu.

Like Hammond, he turned out to not only have big bucks to burn, but was also willing to chase big dreams too, to take calculated risks in pursuit of pulling off the incredible. Thankfully though, Rex also turned out to be a man who unlike John, had a good amount of horse sense and wisdom. He understood that if they were going to clone these huge, powerful unknown animals and maintain them in a park setting, a person needed to think a step ahead, expect the unexpected when it came to the dinosaurs…and then cover those bases as best as possible, regardless of expenses.

Rex had also agreed that if the worst-case scenario happened, and a dinosaur ever _did_ hypothetically escape or pose an immediate threat to human life, they'd do everything possible to recapture it safely. But if the staff didn't have the time or opportunity, no matter how much expense or time had been involved in creating an animal, it would be shot down.

Now that he was a married man, with Vanessa a fellow hostage to fate, Wu was deeply relieved that Rex would be showing such a comfortingly pragmatic attitude.

It was that same pragmatism that also made Rex go for the low-hanging fruit first, make a you-scratch-my-back deal with Henry Wu.

"Now Henry," Rex had told him in that classic Texan drawl, "I love the idea of bringing back dinosaurs and a real-life Jurassic Park as much as the next man, and I promise you'll get the chance to see what you can do in trying to make it happen in good time."

"But like my mother would say," he went on, "a person shouldn't be trying to run until they've gotten good at walking first."

"What exactly do you mean by that Rex?" Wu had replied in confusion.

"Well," Rex had said, "it's my understanding that DNA isn't all that stable a molecule in the long-term, and degrades fairly rapidly in geologic terms. So the chances of recovering any significant amount from the age of dinosaurs is a real shot in the dark, slim to none, in other words."

"I'm very aware of that," Wu agreed. "It's quite a long shot that I'd ever isolate any. But the possibility still does exist."

"I know," Rex nodded. "But I'm still very hesitant to start funding a project with such a tenuous chance of success right out of the gate. So let's try bringing back some beasts that're closer to our own time," the billionaire proposed. "What'd you say Henry?"

"All right," Wu agreed. "What do you have in mind then Rex? Mammoths perhaps? Or saber-tooth cats?"

"No," Rex replied, shaking his head as he laughed. Then he looked up at Wu, grinning.

"We Texans," he drawled, "have a rich, long history with our iconic longhorn cattle. Now, back in the Ice Age, this state was home to herds of huge bison with equally impressive spreads of horns, so wide you could put a hammock between them. God, I'd love to have a herd of those running around again on one of my ranches," he said longingly. "Ground sloths would be wonderful to see back too," he added in suggestion. "Those fellas looked just like big, shaggy real-life Muppets, and I'd stare at their skeletons in amazement every time I'd go to the museum as a kid."

"Well," Wu told him, "I'm not sure if there are any animals around today that could serve as functional surrogates to carry a ground sloth fetus to term. Bison though-that's a different matter. The scientific community has already gained a lot of experience and knowledge when it comes to cloning bovines, so I don't see why a modern bison, cattle, Cape buffalo, or so on couldn't be used as a surrogate mother for an Ice Age species. You could probably also try for Ice Age horses, camels, dire wolves," he shrugged.

"Yeah!" Rex agreed in excitement. "I'd love to see a living dire wolf! And one of those giant extinct camels…God, would that ever be neat! All I have to say about that now is just this: get cracking, Henry," he smiled as he extended his hand to Wu, who grasped it back as they shook on it.

And so it was that Henry Wu worked on cloning Ice Age mammals before getting the chance to try his hand at dinosaurs. Painstakingly, with DNA fragments extracted from frozen tissue and the interior of fossil bones, Wu and his picked team cloned embryos of long-horned bison, ancient bison, steppe bison, long-horned Cape buffalo, titanic camels, western horses, dire wolves, even American lions. Rex was delighted beyond words to see the first prehistoric bison calves. So was the rest of the human race, naturally.

Now that Wu had held up his end of the deal, given Rex the Ice Age beasts he'd asked for-not to mention the acclaim, recognition, and cash flow that came with the exhibition of such marvelous animals to a wildly excited public-the boss gave him the go ahead to try seeing if he couldn't do the same thing with creatures from far further back in time.

To successfully clone once extinct megafauna was an incredible scientific achievement in itself, a remarkable feat that immediately gave Henry Wu the respect, the recognition, the fame from both his academic peers and the global media he'd so passionately yearned for and anticipated when Hammond had first told him the outlines of the project he wanted Wu to undertake for him. And of course, Wu was now also getting not only air time, awards, and acclaim, but no small amount of money himself with each monthly paycheck. He was in seventh heaven.

He met heads of state, was featured on the covers of magazines, interviewed by every major news outlet imaginable, made appearances on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, PBS, Animal Planet.

Operating under the philosophy that there wasn't much point in having scads of anything just sitting around if you weren't going to make use of it-money least of all-Vanessa had no difficulty with quitting her job and freely reveling in the benefits of their abundant wealth. Every time Henry went someplace with his wife, she would quite often be practically weighted down with gold and jewels, never allowing herself to be seen in any dresses, skirts, blouses, jackets, or any other article of clothing that wasn't produced by a big-name designer.

Patience too, now dressed like royalty. Her luxuries were well-deserved, Wu thought, after the childhood she'd had.

And even Wu couldn't resist treating himself, buying both a dark green 4X4 Tahoe and a brand new yellow Ferrari, just the thing for indulging in his private love of speed on one of Texas or Montana's remote county roads. Near their opulent mansion was a photogenic stable which housed the beloved horses he'd also bought. Sherlock, Mr. Bill, Josie, Daphne, and Aladdin. He'd always wanted horses of his own.

Besides his wedding band, he also now wore a white gold chain with a polished cylinder of jade. While Wu didn't believe in superstitions, jade was traditionally believed to bring luck and protection, and he supposed it couldn't hurt to give the luck he was already making for himself through his hard work a helping hand. And it _was_ a beautiful necklace too.

There was no reason why Wu couldn't have just metaphorically laid back, spent the rest of his life cloning and extracting DNA from extinct mammals, ever content to be the head geneticist at _Yesterday's Texas_ , basking in his fame and wealth, and enjoying the bliss of married life with his beautiful, beloved Vanessa.

But like Fitzgerald's Gatsby, he never forgot the past, that faraway green glow he'd once known in another universe, the dream he'd made reality-and could make happen again, in this new existence.

Fortunately, recreating dinosaurs was somewhat easier this time around for Wu. For one thing, he'd done the groping in the dark phase of the science already when it came to the testing and guessing and experimental procedures, and now knew exactly what steps to take to end up with a viable dinosaur hatchling.

It was also a huge boon for Wu that he'd found himself on a future Earth where biotechnology and computer technology was at least a decade ahead of what he'd had to work with in the late 80's. Wu knew that on average, the speed of processing and storage capabilities in computers doubled every 18 months, so naturally the 21st century supercomputers he found himself utilizing to analyze, repair, and compare paleo-DNA were light-years ahead of his own time.

Still, even now, he had a hard time looking at his iPhone or iPad and getting used to the idea that even those handheld devices could easily outperform the Cray XMPs and Hood gene sequencers he'd once relied on when it came to processing power. There simply was no contest.

And for this second "reboot" of cloning dinosaurs, Wu also made a point of being much more thoughtful and careful about just what he and his team were doing.

He had ample motivation to do so. After experiencing the disaster and downfall of the first park, he wasn't keen to see the experience be repeated again. This was doubly so with a wife and now two children hanging in the balance.

Thankfully, he now had a lot more knowledge and respect to bring to bear towards the serious task this time. First and foremost, there was the invaluable firsthand intimate data and humility he'd gained from his three days as an Iguanodon in Early Cretaceous Texas and Oklahoma. All these memories and sensations were truly a gold mine of information. Wu also had Mr. London, Bertram, Melissa, Fred, Mike, Will, and all the other people who'd traveled the Lighting Road to provide treasured knowledge from their own accounts, of dinosaur appearance, behavior, what they ate, what their host bodies did or didn't like, societal structure, breeding behavior, development, and a lot of other aspects.

The wonderful phenomenon known as the Internet was of great help too, allowing Wu to stay up to date with current research, read newly published papers pertaining to dinosaurs, museum websites, journal articles, and engage in e-mail correspondence with paleontologists. Wikipedia proved to be a real asset too, surprisingly enough. It was just a crying shame he hadn't had access to these resources while working on cloning and raising the dinosaurs for Hammond, he thought.

And last but not least, there were the face-to-face meetings held with the paleontologists themselves. Two of them were here right now for his son's party, in fact.

Both the security measures and animal control staff at Cretaceous Kingdom were far superior to the slipshod, vulnerable ones Hammond had implemented on Isla Nublar. Each paddock's electric fences were not only powered by the main power grid, but also had a nearby auxiliary generator that was powered by a fifty gallon drum of gasoline. If the power to a paddock ever shorted out, the auxiliary generator would turn the fence back on within thirty seconds.

Every species of dinosaur, pterosaur, or any other prehistoric animal at the park had at least two specialized, trained, knowledgeable handlers who'd had previous experience working with large and/or dangerous animals.

And Rex also took the very sensible viewpoint that although automated systems at a theme park were great and saved money, actual human hands and boots on the ground to back them up if it came down to it were even better.

As for Henry Wu, he also didn't spare any expense when it came to keeping his property and family at the park secure and safe. As father and husband, it fell to him to be the protector and soldier.

Their three story mansion was surrounded by a fourteen foot tall electric fence, topped by barbed wire. Either Henry or Vanessa would turn on the power each night, and could also do so remotely at any time with a special phone app or button on a keychain. The only access to the property was through one of two remotely operated gates, which also had two opposing rows of six-inch steel spikes located eight feet inside each one. While they were normally kept covered, the narrow supporting platforms that the spike strips sat on could be hydraulically raised in four seconds to the level of the driveway, the spikes popping up through a metal grate.

There was also an infrared security system in place, with sensors and invisible laser beams placed unobtrusively all around the property. The sensors communicated with one of two alarm boxes located in a dining room cabinet. When both systems were turned on at night, no creature bigger than a possum could get within twenty yards of their home without tripping an alarm. If an intruder was sensed, loud music and sirens would blare, scaring them away and alerting the Wu's to their presence.

Of course, Dr. Henry Wu also had several security guards watching the property at all times, bearing guns that fired either cracker shells or lead bullets.

In truth, Wu wasn't all that concerned about the risk that he or his family would be harmed by a dinosaur that managed to break loose. It was fanatical members of his _own_ kind that _truly_ worried him.

Wu knew very well that what he and his staff had done and were continuing to do in the labs, cloning prehistoric mammals and now dinosaurs was seen by many people as highly controversial, to state it mildly. They could generally be placed into one of four distinct groups.

There were the well-meaning animal rights people, who felt that cloning these long-dead animals, a process that produced many sickly, deformed individuals with developmental or physiological abnormalities that then either died of complications or had to be put down, and then forcing the viable ones to live in ecosystems and conditions that were radically different than the world they'd evolved to inhabit, was terribly, revoltingly callous and self-centered.

Then there were the conservationists, appalled and disgusted that so much money and time that could be put to far better use ensuring a future for, working to protect the wildlife we still had around right now, had been so vainly and wantonly wasted on cloning long-dead species for tourist attractions, serving no use but for people to gawk at.

There were certainly the abundant and often very rabid anti-GMO people, who in the vein of Ian Malcolm, screamed at the top of their lungs that Wu and his researchers had opened Pandora's Box, that they were playing games with things they didn't understand, that humans were not meant to meddle with, doing stuff that could well have terrible unexpected consequences. They warned of dinosaurs attacking people and taking over the planet, spreading exotic diseases that would kill crops, livestock, even humans.

And last, but by no means least, there were the religiously motivated, anti-intellectual conservatives, who felt that what Wu was doing was an insult to God Himself, warned that he was asking for divine punishment with his hubris and Frankenstein-like acts, that he had no right to act with God's power. They actively distrusted, even despised, science, a viewpoint that Wu regarded as similar to a man deliberately choosing to have a lobotomy.

These latter two groups of "antis" were a major reason why both Henry and Vanessa carried pepper spray keychains, had a loaded .38 caliber pistol in the center console of each car, and why Wu had a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum pistol in an electronic lockbox within feet of the queen-sized bed he and Vanessa shared-a weapon that even a limb shot or graze from would knock the biggest, fiercest man to the floor and keep him there. He knew how to use it effectively too.

So did Vanessa. She knew the surreal truth, that her Henry had already died violently once, and the thought of ever having to bury the love of her life, of having to raise her children without a father, was too awful to contemplate. So was the concept of one of her babies being harmed. She'd also do whatever was required to protect them.

In one of his children's bedrooms there was also a specially installed closet, padded with cloth and lined with a layer of solid steel, with a wrought iron door that shut seamlessly. A panic room. He'd made it clear to Michael that if a stranger ever broke into the house, his job was to immediately get his brother and sister inside of it with him right away, shut the door, and not press the button that would let them out until one of their parents came to the door and told them that everything was safe.

While Henry Wu didn't see himself as having much of a killer instinct, and dearly hoped that he'd never have cause to have another person's blood on his hands, he'd also discovered firsthand as an Iguanodon and in the wake of the escape of the raptors at Jurassic Park that in times of danger, you must fight, with everything you had, to protect yourself and your own. He knew that if the situation required it, he wouldn't think twice about whipping out a handgun and putting Texas's "Castle Doctrine" into practice against a murderously misguided fanatic or escaped dinosaur.

It was one of the several scars, mental, psychological, and physical, Wu would forever carry from Nublar's Ragnarok. Most days were good for him and Vanessa. But there were also a few in a month which weren't. When Vanessa would catch her husband lost in their copy of Jurassic Park or it's sequel with glazed-looking, haunted, regretful eyes. Watching the movie versions, or _any_ recent movie which involved dinosaurs on a rampage over and over. Playing games like _Peter Jackson's King Kong_ or _Turok_ on his X-Box or his laptop.

Waking up out of a nightmare with a jerk or gasp. Wondering why the scientists in the Dinoverse had chosen to save him, but none of the other staff, feeling guilty that he was alive and others like Arnold weren't, hadn't gotten a second chance. Missing his family, his friends, all he'd known, and just his entire world intensely, lamenting how he'd never see them again or be able to introduce Vanessa, Patience, both their children to them. Blaming himself for having been so blind and ignorant, having ever cloned the velociraptors in the first place, murderous killers which had slain both him and so many of his colleagues. Reacting with brief panic to the sounds of fireworks or other explosions, loud snorts or hisses or growls from dogs, cats, or other animals, screeching or squealing sounds, the sight of blood.

For Vanessa Wu, it was such an eerie and unsettling sensation to know that her King Henry had once died, suffered and bled for real in a scene in a book that she'd read several times before that day in 2001. Every time she thought about it or contemplated the slashing scar across the abdomen of his cloned body, she'd experience a crushing, curious feeling, as if she too, had had to watch him die and lost him forever.

And then she'd hear Henry opening the fridge's door, or talking to one of their children, or he'd walk into their master bedroom to read or work on his laptop next to her. And Vanessa would nearly break into tears to think that his soul and mind still endured on this physical level, that she had him here, in the flesh, to hug tightly and make love to and smell his sharp scent and lie next to and greet and hug and talk to. They were both so blessed and wildly lucky. It was an ever-present reminder not to ever take their relationship and their time for granted. At the end of the day, there were no promises when it came to tomorrow.

Today though, all was safety, fulfillment, and joy at Michael and Portia's shared birthday party. The guests had their choice of two different birthday cakes and kinds of ice cream, watched in delighted wonder in Wu's lab as he showed them an Alamosaurus hatching from its egg, took Gyrosphere or bus rides among the adult dinosaurs with their parents, watched Rio on DVD in the living room of Patience's house, and got to pet and ride the juvenile dinosaurs in the nursery paddock. Lunch was a delicious meal of ginger-soy steamed wahoo steaks, from a fish Wu had bagged himself off an oil rig.

Gifts were passed around for Michael Wu and Portia Reilly from parents, staff, and friends, which both children then eagerly opened and in the case of at least some, immediately began playing with as Zane filmed for posterity.

The patriarch of what Will jokingly called "The Wu-Park Clan," hair slicked forward and spiked in front in the typical hip men's fashion, participated in some of the festivities and games, and was happy enough to accept both a slice of Funfetti cake and a piece of devil's food with Rocky Road ice cream. But he generally spent his time warmly looking on with the other adults, and as typical, stayed close to his wife.

On this particular day, the sleek black lipstick Vanessa often donned-both as an expression of her own individuality and because she knew it appealed to Henry-lent her a particularly striking look as she stood or sat in a porch chair, dressed in a thin golden leather jacket over a white halter top and a charcoal gray skirt with stylish turquoise vinyl pumps, long, permed black hair falling down her back.

Vanessa's fashion sense tended to be highly urban, tending towards the choices of makeup, clothing, and accessories generally typical of Lorde, Gwen Stefani, or Hot Topic. It certainly made the heads of many of the other male technicians and guards in the labs turn in abject, half-lustful interest whenever she came to pay her _Oh Henry_ a visit. She was what the British called a "yummy mummy."

Spreading its wings over her right shoulder and upper arm was a stunning tattoo of a flame-colored phoenix, accented with blue and with each feather standing out on her skin. On her left upper arm were tattooed the characters of her husband's Cantonese name. Below it was the three-toed track of an Iguanodon hind foot.

Yes, no doubt there were some staff and locals who regarded her appearance and outfits as "slutty" or "trashy." But this was the way she liked to express herself, and she knew that as Henry Wu's wife, the spouse of perhaps **_the_** most famous living scientist in the world, winner of a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the man responsible for all of these wonders, nobody would dare express their disapproval to her face.

Wu certainly didn't mind her fashion style in the least. He loved to love her for a good reason. Their sex life was a rich, frequent, and passionate one indeed. In the bedroom, the shower, on a couch, or even in one of the labs, the venue didn't really matter much as long as they wouldn't be disturbed. (And as far as Vanessa was concerned, whichever insecure white monkey had started the slanderous myth that Asian men were underwhelming between the thighs had obviously never seen her husband in the nude.)

As the sun began to set in the west, signaling an impending end to that magical day in this magical place, Henry Wu sat on the lawn in the middle one of three occupied mint green vinyl lawn chairs, sweating in the muggy Texas heat. On his right sat one of the consulting paleontologists for Cretaceous Kingdom and a good friend, the tyrannosaurid obsessed Dr. Thomas Holtz Jr, who Wu had always felt bore a striking resemblance to Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor.

In the left one sat Dr. Paul Sereno, famous for his work on African dinosaurs and a man of many talents, including painting and marathon running. Both were among the very, very few people which hadn't experienced the M.I.N.D. Machine's lightning that Wu had warily revealed who he truly was to. Where he was from.

"Once more, I'd like to express my thanks to both of you for being able to come to my son's and unofficial granddaughter's birthday," Wu told them both. "I know you were both already coming to have a look at the three Afrovenator chicks we've produced, and that the two of you are every bit as extremely busy in your own way as I am. But it still meant so much to Mike that he was able to see two of his personal heroes. That meant the world to him."

"Hey, it was no problem Henry," Tom assured him.

"We're glad we could make his day," Sereno nodded.

"He's sure growing up quick, isn't he?" Tom said reflectively. "Been eight months since I've last seen him, and I'd swear he's gotten three inches taller."

"Speaking of growing," Wu said, "what did you think of the Afrovenators?"

"Awfully cute, for starters!" Tom said.

"They looked pretty good to me," Sereno shrugged. "Like we've told you before Henry, we fossil hunters can only be of so much help when it comes to soft tissues, external appearance, most of the behavior, and other aspects that just don't get preserved in the fossil record. But they look and feel real convincing to me."

Wu glanced at Tom, who grinned back.

"They're awesome little guys, that's my verdict," he pronounced. "The covering of buffy and saffron down, the large feet, the long, foal-like muzzles…that's what you're supposed to see in young theropods."

Wu exhaled in satisfaction. "Then it seems like they should be great attractions and research subjects at Cretaceous Kingdom Yucatan."

"I was at Cretaceous Kingdom Vancouver just two weeks ago," Tom said with a wide smile, "and oh my God, are the Gorgosaurus adolescents bulking up! And you know what was really freaking cool?" he exclaimed.

"I have no idea unless you tell me," Wu replied.

"Remember that salmon stream that runs less than a mile from the back of their paddock?" Tom grinned.

"Do I ever," Wu said. "We sure had to take pains to ensure that it wouldn't be altered or impacted in an environmentally negative manner before and during construction."

"Well," Tom related, "while I was watching the four Gorgosaurs in their paddock with the spotting scope, naturally beside myself with total delight, I suddenly hear these two bears that must've been fishing at the stream flip out and start fighting, roaring and growling. Hhhuuuurrrraaaaggggh, Hhhuuuuurrrraaaagggghhh!" Dr. Holtz imitated, comically waving his arms and thrusting his head forward in pantomime of a grappling bear as Wu grinned in amusement.

"Then," Tom went on, "when they hear the bears fighting, all four Gorgosaurs just leap to their feet, run to the inner fence, feathers erect, and start telling the bears off by roaring back! Holy Christ, you should've heard it Henry! It was both awesome and piss-yourself scary at the same time!"

"Four Gorgosaurs giving full territorial roars would be a pretty intimidating sound, I'd imagine," Sereno replied, even as he smiled. "Wish I could have seen it."

"Did you get any video?" Wu asked Tom.

"As a matter of fact, yeah, I did manage to take some on my iPhone," Holtz replied. "Hang on," he told them as he fished the phone out of his pocket. "They roared for several minutes before stopping."

"They were too far away to get decent footage of," Tom said apologetically as he poked the video file and held the phone up, "but oh boy, can you hear them!"

Both Wu and Paul leant forward as the sounds of two angry grizzlies came from the iPhone's speakers. On top of those sounds were the savage, glottal roars of the gorgosaurs, smashing through the misty air.

"Pretty freaking cool, am I right?" Tom grinned knowingly.

"Most definitely," Paul laughed. "Any tourists there got their money's worth that day."

Wu smiled as he nodded. "Extremely cool," he agreed. "But still not as awesome as the roars of the rexes," he grinned.

"Well of course not!" Holtz exclaimed. "Anything a gorgosaur can do, a rex can do better," he sang.

Paul laughed as Wu gave an amused smile. He knew that Tom practically worshiped the tyrant lizard kings. (Wu himself was personally especially fond of the majestic sauropods) No one would ever forget Tom's reaction when he'd gotten the supreme privilege of visiting the park's nursery, and, dressed in surgical scrubs, be allowed to hold one of the very first T. rex chicks to draw breath in 65 million years.

The pictures, taken by both iPhone and professional photographers, were worth ten thousand words. In them, Holtz securely held the turkey-sized dinosaur, a Velcro strap around its long muzzle as the agate eyes blinked in confusion. Covered in sleek maroon down with brown patches, the rex chick had emitted drawn-out, nasal cries and pawed the air with its feet.

For the prince of dinosaurs, the experience probably wasn't all that fun.

But for Dr. Thomas Holtz, the expression on his face, one of childish, utter delight and astonishment and plain wonder, said it all about what this impossible wish come true meant to him.

After all the valuable advice he'd gotten from the man in the planning stages, Wu could hardly do any less as a thank-you gift.

"And getting back to the gorgosaurs," Sereno mentioned, "you still planning to try to have each of the two pairs breed when they reach adulthood, as per our recommendations to encourage more genetic variability?"

Wu sighed. "I am Paul. And yes, I know that it's important to try for a limited amount of natural reproduction with every species, for both the genetic and social benefits to the animals. The trouble is though…well, introductions between the big theropods, or pairing up individuals that might not take kindly to each other makes me and the handlers highly nervous. I've heard so many horror stories about male big cats turning on females in captivity and killing them, after all. And we all know about what Attila did to Rachel," he added.

"Yeah," Paul nodded gravely, thinking of the female Deinonychus. "Didn't last two days with him before he chomped her right through the skull."

"Hell of a way to disapprove of an arranged marriage," Holtz grunted. "But you're right that it's touch and go with pairing the theropods. You have good handlers though Wu, and most of the time they've settled down well."

"It'll be pretty interesting to form the eight rexes at our parks into breeding pairs when the time comes," Wu commented wearily.

"No kidding!" Tom laughed. "Fortunately, they've still got some growing left to do before you need to cross that bridge."

"Yes, at least a decade," Paul agreed. "Then they'll be nice, big, bulked-up adults. You've gotten rather toned yourself since I've last seen you," he commented, scanning Wu's shoulders and limbs appraisingly.

"Yes, I have," Wu agreed. "The hula lessons have been great for my posture and putting on lean muscle."

Sereno was intrigued. "I had no idea you'd taken up hula dancing, Henry."

"Well, it was Vanessa who initially got me into it," Wu said. "She felt it would be a great exercise and spousal bonding activity for both of us. Now, I'll admit at first that I had my doubts, had this stereotypical image of hula dancing in my head as being feminine, prissy and just embarrassingly unmanly. But it's not that way at all, it turns out."

Tom nodded. "There are a lot of traditional Hawaiian hulas and chants that are men-only, and tell of exciting, masculine things like pig hunting, sea voyages, spear fishing, adventures in the mountains, traditional legends, celebrate the deeds of a chief, honor good friends, etc."

"That's right," Wu agreed. "The chants also quite often involve a lot of loud, aggressive shouting, let me assure you. Good for dealing with stress," he grinned. "Reminds me of the kiyas in Japanese martial arts, actually. And since people of Polynesian and East Asian descent like me are both classified as Mongoloid in our features, sharing the same genetic background, I figured performing Hawaiian dances and chants wouldn't seem too awkward or jarring either."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Sereno said, "but it's my understanding that genetic and cultural studies have shown that the very first Polynesians came from Taiwan and Malaysia."

"Oh, that's quite true," Wu confirmed. "The things we've learned about human migrations and racial divergence over the past decade from molecular studies… At any rate though, three times a week, we have an instructor from a halau in Houston come to the park and hold an hour long private lesson for me, Vanessa, and any of the other adults on staff who want to join in."

"Sounds fun," Tom commented.

"It actually is," Wu concurred. "Not only does dancing hula tone and build lean muscle, it helps inprove posture, does wonderful things for your coordination, really forces you to increase your stamina, and strengthens the back-which is extremely important when you spend so much time hunched over a microscope or petri dish like I do. And like you said Tom, it's just fun to do, I've found. Very dynamic, helps to destress. Last but not least, it pleases me to know that whenever we wear traditional outfits for a class, Vanessa thinks I sure look hot in a loincloth and haku head lei," he grinned, causing all three men to laugh.

"Yeah, because she gets a good look at what a stud you are without that lab coat," Tom teased.

Wu inwardly blushed.

Patience happened to walk up to the group of three men then.

"Hey dad," she warmly told Wu, who turned in his chair and gave her a smile of greeting as she placed her hand on his shoulder, then kissed his cheek. "Just came over to see how things are doing out here."

"Oh, Paul and Tom and I are all just shooting the breeze, catching up on all things personal and dinosaur," Wu replied. "Everything going okay with the organized chaos of the birthday party, I hope?"

"For now, yes," Patience grunted in amusement. "Right now everyone's enjoying listening to silly kid's songs about-well, I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count," she sighed.

"Hey," Tom said firmly, "you can never listen to too many songs about dinosaurs! Am I right, gentlemen?"

"At least one of us begs to differ," Patience muttered. "Is there anything I can get you three at all?" she then proposed. "Water? Drinks?"

"I'd like a Moscow Mule, if you would Patience," Wu replied.

"And I'll have a citrus cooler," Paul added.

"A second Moscow Mule for me," Tom said. "Hell, maybe two. Don't worry, I've got a designated driver," he added with a grin.

"Sure thing," Patience replied, lightly hugging Wu around the neck before walking back towards the house. Wu watched her go, a faint smile of pride and affection touching his lips.

Except for her baby bump, she looked and moved much the same way she had when the former college basketball player had walked down the aisle before and then after taking Will's hand in marriage at St. Peter's Church in Wetherford six years ago.

During her time at the orphanage, Patience McCray had often watched the 1977 animated movie version of Russell Hoban's book _The Mouse and His Child_ with the other children, about a wind-up toy mouse and his son who wanted to be "self-winding" and have a family too. At the end of the movie, the father mouse had gotten married to a pink plush wind-up elephant, with a wind-up seal becoming the mouse child's sister. Both the wind-up mice had also been altered as to be able to move without being cranked, the entire family living in a beautiful, opulent dollhouse with all their toy and animal friends, like Frog, Kingfisher, and Lovebird.

So it was hardly shocking-and certainly touchingly appropriate-that when Will and Patience had walked down the aisle together as husband and wife, she'd chosen to have the ending reprise of the song "Tell Me My Name," from the movie be triumphantly played for them.

 _Wind in the trees, leaves on the water,_

 _This is my name: my name is Laughter._

 _And always, as I walk under the umbrella of the sky,_

 _Warm in the sun, I know that I have become someone…_

 _Stars overhead, silent and endless,_

 _No one's alone, no one is friendless._

 _I think of, that wondrous world that I no longer have to roam,_

 _And close the door, knowing my name,_

 _And knowing this, is home._

After everybody had left the dais, groomsmen and bridesmaids alike, and the pictures had been taken of the wedding party, a patiently waiting Henry Wu had gone up to the newly wedded couple as soon as he could with Vanessa at his side.

He hugged each of them, shook their hands. Then he grasped one of Will and Patience's hands with his own as Wu just gave his former traveling companions in prehistory a beatific smile of affection and joy. And like the tramp at the end of the movie, he'd wished them both well with two simple but profound, heartfelt words: "Be happy."

"Looks like he's thinking of the past," Wu heard Tom comment to Paul.

"Not that there's any problem in the least with doing that of course," Sereno replied. "That's what we do for our careers, after all," he grinned.

Turning his attention back to them, Wu lightly smiled as he said, "Yes, I was just taking a brief stroll down memory lane. Patience and I have had some wonderful times and experiences together. I remember the time when she talked me into dressing as Raiden from Mortal Kombat for Halloween, for example, while she went with me as Sonya."

Holtz laughed. "Yeah, I've seen the pictures on Facebook. The blue contacts were an especially nice touch. You tend to do a pretty good job of cosplaying racially Asian characters in general I think though Henry. Which I approve of you doing," he added, "because cosplay is just plain frigging awesome!"

"I really enjoyed dressing up as Mako from The Legend of Korra last year," Wu admitted. "And Vanessa wowed everyone as Asami. But I don't think either of us would look _half_ as good at Halloween or at the conventions in costume if it wasn't for the amazing outfits your wife is good enough to make for us Tom," he acknowledged.

"Well, she's more than happy to do it for our mutual friends and a person who's brought dinosaurs back from the dead for us and the girls to delight in," Tom replied. "Which reminds me, while I know it's still rather early in the year to think about Halloween yet, you still have any idea who you want to dress as this year and then portray at the conventions?"

Wu paused, considering. "I'm not sure yet," he said. "But I think it might be fun to go as our favorite prosthetic-handed opium lord, Mr. Han from _Enter The Dragon_ , especially in that magnificent gold-embroidered black robe he wears during the banquet scene, with the red trim. I feel it could look quite good on me."

"That was a snazzy robe," Paul agreed. "And he had a lot of presence as a character."

"The Cantonese answer to our Bond villains," Holtz said. Peering critically at Wu, he then thoughtfully scanned the geneticist up and down. "Yeah," he agreed with a small smile. "That _would_ be a great look for you Henry. I'll ask Sue if she could get working on it when I get back home."

"No bear-claw, cast iron, or carving knife hands though," Wu cautioned as he raised a hand and smiled. "I don't trust myself not to have accidents with such a device."

"But think of the benefits having one made for you could provide!" Holtz joked. "If one of the Deinonychus here at the park ever escaped and attacked you, you could pop it over your hand and either punch it out or slash it up into mince."

"Let's really hope that would never actually happen," Paul said gravely.

"Hmm, I think I'd rather use a less close-quarters style of defense," Wu replied as he raised an eyebrow. "Like a spear or pistol for example…the first of which I seem to remember Han meeting a grisly end from by being impaled on it in his maze of mirrors. Although I suppose it would be rather amusing to get a raptor down into something like that, watch it go crazy attacking my reflection over and over again like a bird with a side-view mirror on a car, bashing into them headfirst and clawing the glass…" he smirked.

"Hah, you're right, that would be hilarious to watch!" Tom laughed in agreement.

"It absolutely amazes me," Wu commented, "whenever I watch Shih Kien's performance in that movie, to realize that he was already sixty at the time of filming…and yet, he had no difficulty coming across as a worthy, convincingly capable and cunning adversary for Lee and all the other heroes who opposed him during the film, guys that were literally half his age."

"Yeah, he was quite the tour de force," Paul agreed.

At that moment, they were interrupted by a shout of "Bahba!"

From left field came Henry Wu's other two children. In the lead was six year old Genesis Wu, with four year old Brandon Wu right behind. In the crook of Genesis's arm, she held her favorite doll in the world, May Lee, from Target's Our Generation line of dolls-and the only one of the group cast as Asian.

 _Hi daddy_ , they both said to him.

 _Hello there sweetie_ , Wu greeted her in Cantonese as she climbed up onto his lap and hugged him. _Hello Brandon. What brings you two over here? Finally got tired of the games and dinosaur songs?_

 _They got boring_ , Brandon said. _And many of the other kids are going home too._

 _We wanted to have a ride on one of the horses before it gets dark_ , Genesis told her father, _and mom told us to see if it was okay with you first before Uncle Bertram took us to the stable and brought Digby out._

Wu looked at both of them.

 _That's fine, Genesis,_ he told her. _But Brandon, you're still too young to ride yet._

 _Yay! Thanks Dad!_ Genesis squealed as she hugged him, gathered up her May Lee doll, and slid off her father's lap, jerkily running back to the house.

 _But Dad?_ Brandon said as his face fell in disappointment. _Why can't I ride? I want to go on the horse too!_ he demanded.

 _Because you're not old enough and strong enough to hold on to a horse all by yourself,_ Wu replied. _You could fall and get hurt real bad. Tell you what though,_ he proposed. _How about we play the foot-shoving game a few times instead right now?!_

Brandon's eyes lit up in delight, and he jumped for joy. _Yay! Let's get started!_

Taking up a position two feet from his father's chair, Brandon eagerly stood up and grinned in anticipation.

Taking his cue, Wu then extended his right leg and firmly shoved the sole of his sandaled foot against his son's chest, sending the boy tumbling to the grass on his back as he giggled.

Seeing the startled expressions on the faces of Tom and Paul, he quickly assured them, "Don't worry, this is a game the kids and I play all the time, even when I'm working on the computer. Brandon can't get enough of it, and it can go on for easily half an hour until he gets bored with the foot shoving."

"He sure looks to be having lots of fun," Paul smiled in charmed agreement.

Seven times Wu placed the sole of his sandal against Brandon's chest and sent the giggling boy into a supine position, from which he sprang back up for more.

Then Wu, even as he smiled in his own delight, regretfully told him, _Sorry Brandon, but we'll have to play the shoving game later, all right? This is Dad's time to relax with his own friends right now. Maybe you can help Mike put his new presents away and ask if you can play with them too!_

Brandon nodded. That evidently sounded good to him, for he told Wu, _Okay Dad. Bye-bye for now, love you!_

 _Love you too buddy!_ Henry Wu sincerely called back to his son as Brandon turned and skipped back to the porch.

"You're making sure they get a good grasp of their linguistic heritage I see," Tom observed. "Very nice that you're taking the time to connect them with their roots," he approved.

Wu nodded. "We speak to them in Hangul too, which as you both know, is what Koreans call their own language." He smiled. "You should see the educational materials for them in their nursery and bedroom. Three different alphabets on the walls, children's books, cartoons, Disney movies, word puzzles and building blocks in English, Cantonese, and Hangul…"

Patience arrived then with the sundowners, handing a Moscow Mule to Wu, another to Tom, and a Citrus Cooler with a lemon wedge to Sereno. "Enjoy boys," she told them before leaving.

"Thanks Patience," Wu smiled as Paul and Tom also thanked her for her service.

"Sure."

Lying back against the vinyl, Wu took a swallow of his Moscow Mule, enjoying the buzz of the alcohol and the spicy taste of the ginger as he regarded the commanding rainbow beauty of the setting sun.

As all three men nursed at their cocktails, Wu gave a pained, sorrowful sigh as the experience dredged up memories.

"Something bothering you, Henry?" Tom gently asked as he looked over the rim of his glass at Wu.

"I suppose you could say that," Wu said morosely. He looked at his glass. "Muldoon loved himself a good sundowner when the day came to a close, you know," he said reflectively. "A true son of the British Empire, and a great guy through and through."

"You clearly miss him," Sereno remarked gently.

Wu unhappily nodded as he took another sip. "Yes. I miss my brother and sisters too, miss my parents, miss everybody terribly guys. I'd give anything to be able to see and talk to them just one more time, let them know that I'm really not dead, but still live on in another body on another earth, to be able to tell my mother and father that they have grandchildren from me now…" he choked.

"I've been able to relate only too well this year to what that sense of loss and grief must feel like," Thomas Jr. replied softly, sorrow knotting his features as he bit his lip and turned away. "Even though I know my degree of distress can't be compared to yours," he amended.

Wu switched his glass to his left hand and sympathetically reached out to place his hand on Tom's shoulder for support. "But it still doesn't make it any less important or real," Wu gently told the paleontologist. He knew that the death of Tom's father the previous February had been a bitter wrench indeed for him.

Tom gave him a gladdened smile.

Wu pulled his hand back and gave another reflective sip as he shook his head.

"Crazy as it might sound, I even miss Hammond and Nedry somewhat, I think. A little. Hammond was disagreeable and stubborn and stupid and irresponsible, yes, but was still my boss and my friend. He never really meant any harm, you know."

"We're sorry what ended up happening to him, you know," Sereno said.

"I am too," Wu agreed. "At least it wasn't as bad as mine or Nedry's."

"As mine," Paul grunted, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is one of these times that I have to pinch myself, knowing I'm dealing with this type of mind-blowing craziness, talking to a man from a _fictional universe_ for God's sake!"

"Oh, the feeling is mutual, trust me," Wu said empathetically. "You two can never understand how eerie this all is for me, knowing that in my own universe, dimension, reality, whatever the hell you want to call it, I'm at best charred bones right now. Eviscerated by a pair of the very Achillobators I cloned, eaten alive, torn open and gushing blood…" He trailed off with a primal, shuddering reaction of nausea and horror, breaking out into a new type of sweat. "Unquestionably and most sincerely dead."

"And yet," he went on after taking a calming breath as he spread his hands apart, struggling to find words for the utter weirdness of it all, "in this chair, there's someone who walks with the same gait, leaves behind the same fingerprints, signs his checks and credit card slips and bills with the same signature, has the same DNA in his cells, and has picked up from where he was forced to bow out of the second act."

"I've been rebooted," Wu giddily laughed. "I'm dead yet alive! A living Lazarus. I knew when John first signed me on to clone dinosaurs for him that my life had become something out of a science-fiction tale…but I never could've imagined it would quite literally end up being part of one or that it would work out to be this nuts, bringing me to a home in another universe!"

"It's some majorly crazy-ass shit," Tom wholeheartedly agreed. "That you won't get any argument from me about."

"You're telling me," Sereno said, shaking his head in astonishment. "Science fair projects which send people's minds back into the bodies of real dinosaurs, Jurassic Park actually being fucking real somewhere, parallel universes, intelligent dinosaurs with a civilization that surpasses ours in technology...yeah, this is all one of those things which is completely bug-screw insane, yet somehow manages to be true."

"But with apologies to Arthur Doyle, once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth," Tom replied. "No matter how frigging bananas that truth might end up being," he grunted.

"I'll never forget the look on your face when I took the leap and confirmed your suspicion in the hallway," Wu smiled impishly.

"Yes, at the consultation meeting," Tom replied.

On that day, Rex had called a meeting of several of the best and brightest minds in paleontology to speak with the head geneticist about the project, give advice about how the dinosaurs should look, what they knew about their diets and behavior, give suggestions about what interactive and fossil displays would best compliment the cloned animals, what types of dinosaurs would probably be best suited for co-habitation, and so on.

Jack Horner, Robert Bakker, Jim Kirkland, Scott Sampson, Phil Currie, Matt Lamana, Paul and Thomas had been present there.

They'd all read Jurassic Park before of course, and to a man, couldn't help but comment on the very striking "coincidence" that the head geneticist working on a similar real-life project to clone dinosaurs was also named Henry Wu.

Wu had laughed it off in a "Wouldn't that be funny if that were true?" style, giving them privately knowing smiles.

The fossil hunters had provided excellent advice and suggestions. For one thing, they all agreed that as genetic chimeras, facsimiles, and simply creatures that no human being had seen alive, Wu and his team were going to see some unexpected physical and behavioral aspects from the dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals they cloned. Whether that was the actual dinosaur DNA being expressed, the DNA of the contemporary animal, or the dinosaur and contemporary animal working in synergy to produce something entirely new, was impossible to say. Their recommendation was to simply take it in stride.

They also recommended that rather than have all female individuals, Wu should produce at least some males as well, and use them to engage in a limited amount of controlled breeding to encourage genetic mixing and health, producing dinosaurs that in the long-term, would evolve to become better adapted to 21st century conditions and in due time, undergo sufficient reproductive cell mutations to spawn more genetic diversity.

They also agreed that there should be not just one, but multiple Cretaceous Kingdoms around the world, each containing dinosaurs from the same general time period and geographic area, in the closest possible modern equivalent to their vanished ecosystems, with a total captive population of from two to three hundred individuals of each recreated species to be self-sustaining between them.

After the conference, for reasons he'd never quite understand (although to be frank, even then Wu had the impression Dr. Holtz very much seemed like the sort of man who happily took insanity and the odder aspects of existence in his stride), Wu hadn't been able to resist carefully approaching the curly-haired doctor of paleontology in the hallway for a moment alone.

"You know how you and the others, back when we were first introduced," Wu had told Tom, "all mentioned that it was quite a strange coincidence that my name was Henry Wu as well?" he inquired with a smile and chuckle.

"Yeah," Tom had laughed. "Just like the geneticist character in Jurassic Park. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost think you and your fictional counterpart were one and the same, the similarities are so uncanny. But of course, it's impossible that you could actually be _that_ particular Henry Wu."

Both men then chuckled in tandem, in an isn't-that-just-such-a-preposterous-notion type of amusement.

It was in the next instant that Wu decided to take the gamble and vent the lid just for a moment.

Placing his face close to Thomas Holtz's ear as the other man regarded him with cautious bafflement, Henry Wu had bluntly whispered at that moment, "I am Tom."

Wu had then stepped back and raised his shirt up to display the scars on his cloned body's abdomen for just a few seconds before letting it fall, turning around, and unhurriedly trotting back to his office, leaving a dumbfounded Thomas to stare at his receding back.

Tom's eyes had seemed to bulge out of his head with astonishment and disbelief, and it wouldn't have really surprised Wu at all if his gasp of undisguised shock had taken a good quarter of the air volume contained in the corridor into his lungs.

"Your eyes looked like a bullfrog's, they were so wide at that moment," Wu smiled.

"I can very much believe it," Tom replied. "I remember thinking, 'Well, I don't _think_ this guy is a dangerously unstable lunatic…' But then when you displayed those scars, I began to wonder-and you didn't come across to me as the tiger tamer type…"

"You know you were taking an immense risk telling your story to us, what and who you truly were Henry, as I'm sure you're aware?" Paul said meaningfully.

"Oh, very much aware," Wu concurred. "I knew that at best, I could have my professional career tarnished forever, at worst be committed to a nuthouse someplace. But something inside me just told me I could trust you two with my secrets-and I've learned a thing or two during my incredible adventures about the value of listening to that inner voice. And hey, it all worked out."

"And it was certainly quite the eye opening knowledge," Tom added, "once I was able to wrap my brain around it. My friend Doctor Henry Wu says the world is full of fantasy, and who are you and I to disagree!" he sang as he gave a flourish of his free arm at Paul.

Paul laughed, showing his teeth.

"Yes, I deeply miss Muldoon, Arnold, and my other friends back in my true world," Wu said longingly as he had other swig of his cocktail, even while he gave a thin smile, "and I'll never forget them or my family. But you can't change what's been done," he shrugged, "…and now I have new ones to make up for it," he smiled as he looked at both men.

"And you've also got a new family of your very own for you to take joy and solace in now," Sereno replied as he smiled back.

"Exactly," Wu smiled warmly as a contented glow rose up within him at the thought. He thought back to Thanksgiving weekend of 2004, when Vanessa had broken the news. Will and Patience had been there too, visiting from college.

His wife had given him a gift bag with a turkey on it to open. Inside it had been something wrapped in yellow tissue paper. When he'd removed it, Henry Wu had held up the contents. It was a lab coat, toddler-sized.

Wu had stared at it, then at her, mystified. "Cute gift, but what does it mean?" he asked Vanessa.

A content, gently amused smile curved Vanessa's lips, and her eyes sparkled as she replied, "Read the note inside."

Sliding his hand in, Henry took the note out and began to read

"Dear Henry," he began, "I thought that this little lab coat would be just the perfect thing for a future little scientist that'll be living in this house seven months from now..."

Wu gasped and stared at her in astonishment and shock and swelling joy as it swept over him. "Oh my God!" he cried in surprised delight, leaping to his feet.

Patience gaped, then began jumping up and down in glee and disbelief as she shrieked, "Holy shit! Holy shit! This is so cool! Congratulations Vanessa!"

Will placed his hands over his face in a V shape and nearly fell out of the chair.

"I'm going to be a dad!" Wu said in thrilled wonder. "You're pregnant Vanessa! How-how long have you known?!"

"I just knew I'd conceived on that very night," Vanessa replied, smiling warmly. "But I did the test two weeks ago, and it came back positive for being knocked up."

"Nice work dude," Will congratulated as he got up and nudged Wu with an elbow. "Way to go!"

"Oh, it's gonna be so cute!" Patience grinned as she danced in joy.

Henry nodded, and then swept his wife up into a firm, excited hug. The gleeful celebration climaxed with a mutual toast of nonalcoholic beverages to the baby, to the new father and mother, to Will, and to Patience McCray, who was going to make a wonderful surrogate big sister, babysitter, aunt, family friend, and godmother.

Two years later, Patience herself would break the grand news of her own pregnancy to Will by having him, with Henry and Vanessa present, open up the door of their oven to find buns inside.

The close relationship between both couples extended to their respective children as well, and both Portia and Michael immediately came to know all four adults by their faces, their touch, their voice, and by their love.

Back in the present moment, Henry Wu said warmly, "There's such a beautiful symmetry to it Paul and Tom, that me, Vanessa, Patience-we were all abandoned in our own way, cast adrift and alone in a harsh, indifferent world, looking for somewhere to belong…" He paused.

"And we all somehow found each other," he went on, throat tightening. "Call it sheer luck, a divine plan, destiny, whatever you want, all three of us came together to form our band of Three Musketeers, a whole new strange family bound by the principle of one for all and all for one."

"And of course, by love," he said softly. "Sappy, I know, but I value loving and being loved by Vanessa and Patience at least as much as any dinosaur I've ever seen hatch."

* * *

Later that night, when the guests were gone and all of the staff's children were asleep, Henry, Vanessa and the other people over the age of 18 kept the party going at the park's dance club with Zane spinning the tunes.

While most of the songs were in English, Zane also played a few K-pop songs, and rap or pop songs in Cantonese or Mandarin for the Wu's and their fellow Chinese or Korean American co-workers.

As perhaps one of the top five most famous scientists in the world, Henry Wu's fame preceded him-and not only in academic or media circles. He'd voiced the character of the Mechanist in _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ , narrated science documentaries, done countless interviews, been the voice of a rank-and-file cop in Book Two of _The Legend of Korra_ , and done other minor animated roles.

While Wu's singing voice was by his own admission, not really opera quality (English or Chinese), he'd even done some speaking and tonal vocals for Mandarin and Cantonese language bands on their tracks. Like Vincent Price for Thriller.

A cordless mike was passed around in the club, in the fashion of a rap battle or hip-hop fest, with each reveler getting the chance to belt out the song of the moment.

One of these songs was Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," which Vanessa eagerly and appropriately took the mike for.

But a few very significant and symbolic verses, evoking memories of the grand adventure to everyone in the know, were her husband's privilege to fire off.

Wu grinned and held up both his thumbs, holding the pointer and middle fingers of his free hand splayed in an angled peace sign as he sang into the mic,

" _Put that paper over all, I thought you knew that, knew that._

 _I be the I-G-G-Y, put my name in bold,_

 _I been working, I'm up in here with some change to throw._ "

And to finish it up:

" _Who that, who that, I-G-G-Y,_

 _That do that, do that, I-G-G-Y,_

 _Who that, who that, I-G-G-Y,_

 _Bbblllloooowww…_

 _Who-who-who-who that, who that, I-G-G-Y,_

 _That do that, do that, I-G-G-Y,_

 _Who that, who that, I-G-G-Y,_

 _Bbbllllooooww…."_

The crowd of Wetherford alumni absolutely ate it up, whooping with amused delight.

* * *

In the small hours of the morning, something woke Vanessa up, some unidentifiable sound that penetrated the veil between awareness and slumber.

Raising her head and blinking, she realized Henry wasn't in bed with her. Sliding out from under the covers, she walked barefoot across the lush bedroom carpet and out into the hallway of the moonlit house in search of her husband.

She wasn't unduly concerned about his absence, just curious about what he was up to. And it lent Vanessa a sense of reassurance by knowing exactly where he was.

She found Henry in a nearby guest room, silently staring at the brilliant white disk of the moon, its thin, opalescent light painting his features in silver as he sat in an easy chair.

On hearing her enter, he turned his head to look at his wife, and gave a quick nod to acknowledge her presence, but stayed silent as she strolled up to him, standing on his right hand side.

"Looks like you're having a serious contemplation session," Vanessa told him.

"Oh, to say the least," he replied. He exhaled. "I look at the moon these days, and it's filled with so many layers of meaning for me."

"Such as?"

"Well, for one thing, it's bright, beautiful, provides light to all those who see it, dazzles the eyes with its beauty, and has a gentle aspect to it. Just like you, Vanessa," he smiled as he raised his head and reached out with his left arm.

Touched and knowing what he wanted, she lowered her head and met his lips in a passionate kiss as the milky light played over them both

They parted, stopping briefly to inhale each other's breath before she stood back up.

"I like that," she told him in approval. "That's very sweet. Now what else does that lunar orb mean to you Henry?"

"It also signifies to me that things in life change, sometimes drastically. But we all find ourselves back where we started in the end, one way or another, and the fundamental things still apply as time plods on," he smiled as he regarded her.

Vanessa smiled back as she nodded. "Yeah. They really do, when you think about it."

She walked in front of his chair. "You don't mind?" she asked as she did a half-turn and began to squat, questioningly looking at Wu's face.

"Oh, go right ahead and take a seat," he assured her. "I don't mind holding a beauty like you on my lap and in my arms."

She did just that, nestling into the crook of his right arm and tucking her head against his neck as he embraced her.

"When I was inside the body of that Iguanodon," Wu went on, "the moon and the sun-when the clouds finally cleared and I could see them, it really gave me some food for thought, Vanessa. It was amazing to think, to comprehend that then as now, the same moon, same sun shone down on the heads of dinosaurs too, that they'd shined for lonely eons of time before there was any life on land…or even any life at all! Shone down for a length of time that our human brains just don't have the capacity to truly grasp," he said in reverent wonder.

"I suppose you're right," she agreed. "That is majorly heady to consider. Yet also deeply awesome and reassuring," she smiled.

"In a world which no longer made any sense in the least to me, it was one of the precious few comforting constants," Wu told her.

"I can imagine."

They were silent for a bit.

"Oh, the moon's been a welcome constant for me," Wu went on, "no matter which universe I've found myself in. But it also symbolizes abundance, luck, and family togetherness. All of which I have now in the sort of profusion even I'd have never dreamt of," he said warmly as he kissed her cheek. "Somehow, I've managed to get everything I ever wanted…and more," he added as he hugged his wife.

She smiled and closed her eyes as he kissed her scalp. "And I've gotten all my wishes granted tenfold too, by a man from a different Earth no less. Yes, we're all a very lucky, blessed family here at Cretaceous Kingdom."

"Very much so," Wu agreed. "As an aside, the moon also reminds me of an acclaimed Tang Dynasty poet, Li Bai, who had imperial patronage and renown throughout upper-class society for his melodic way with words. While it was probably his hard-drinking lifestyle that actually did him in at the age of 61, I read in a Ripley's Believe It or Not! Volume somewhere that one night, while on a rowboat on the Yangtze River, filled with a spirit of serendipity and gratitude for his life's good fortune and luck, he attempted to embrace and kiss the moon's reflection on the surface of the water. That didn't go as well as he'd planned, and Li Bai fell over and drowned."

"Well, don't _you_ try doing anything that foolhardy on a romantic whim," Vanessa told him. "Nobody here wants to have to bury their husband, father, or boss anytime soon."

"Oh, don't worry," he assured her as he hugged her again. "I've got just a bit more sense in my head than Li Bai," he chuckled.

Once more, they were silent.

"So, what next?" she said after a while.

"Pardon?"

"That's exactly it Henry. What does my brilliant, back-from-the-dead husband from a parallel universe plan to do next for even bigger and better things, now that he's gotten a good handle on cloning dinosaurs? Of course, if you plan to just keep things on an even keel at this point in your life, there's no problem with that either," she added, looking up at his face.

"Will and I were actually talking about that a few days ago," Wu replied. "For now, I'm happy enough just to keep things as they are in terms of projects for at least the next several years. After that though…" He trailed off, exhaling deeply.

"What Henry?" Vanessa softly prodded. "What plans do you have in mind, long-term?"

"I can't believe that I'm even considering opening such a can of worms," Wu said softly, "but although it's not like they made me sign a contract or something…I owe a debt of gratitude to Toswai and Loong Fuchan that I can never express to them Vanessa, and I think it's time to hold up my end of the good faith deal we made."

Vanessa went rigid with shock and blinked.

"You mean you're going to try for-"

"Yes," Wu replied simply. "Sapient dinosaurs…or at least ones that've been given a genetic nudge in that direction. I know it seems like sheer insanity," he agreed before she could say anything, "but the Dinoverse…if you'd seen it for yourself, felt it for yourself like Will and I have Vanessa, you'd understand why a future earth, where our civilization is mixed in harmony with theirs, would be nothing short of a wonderland."

"Think of what it would mean," he went on passionately, "to have another advanced intelligence sharing this planet with us, a species both as brilliant and gifted as humankind, but so much more noble and worthy too. The cosmos wouldn't seem so empty and cold anymore with this marriage Vanessa, just like how my life has been so much warmer and complete and fulfilling ever since I met you! Just think of it!" he proclaimed, flinging his hands apart in the attitude of a preacher at the pulpit.

"It's an alluring and beautiful dream," she agreed, "but how are you going to get it off the ground Henry? The fact that you and your team are cloning living dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and Ice Age mammals has _already_ been enough in itself to send no small amount of people into a frenzied clamor of opposition against what's being done here, to the point where some special types of lunatics have even made **_death threats_** against us! Can you imagine the uproar and legal shit storm that would develop if word got out that you were trying to give some of these dinosaurs _advanced intelligence_? Oh Jesus," she said, putting her head in her hands and squeezing her temples.

"It's one that gives me the chills to consider," Wu admitted as he stroked her back. "And yes, maybe our society isn't ready yet for such a thing. Maybe it would be more prudent to just put the idea out there, and let public opinion rule the day. But even if I never get to help make a Dinoverse a reality in my lifetime," he told her, "Will has promised me that he'll take over the reins."

"Well," Vanessa replied bravely, "whatever decisions you make Henry, whether you get to put the promise you made to your saviors in motion or not, I can promise you that I'll stand by you and support you all the way. That my Oh Henry can always count on," she assured him as they kissed again.

"Thank you," he told her gratefully.

Once more, they were quiet for a time.

"So," Wu said thoughtfully. "A dozen dinosaur theme parks operating now, all over the world, and all thanks to me, with four more under construction."

"It staggers the mind, doesn't it?"

"Oh, definitely. Just incredible."

Wu puffed air out through his nostrils. "After sixty-five million years, the moon and sun are once more shining down on dinosaurs in every hemisphere."

"Pretty cool, huh?"

"Not just cool," Henry Wu replied. "It's magical, just like what John would say about it if he was here."

Vanessa nodded, and looked up at the moon with her husband. Through him and Patience, she'd come to discover that reality, the great beyond, was far more magical, mysterious, improbable, and wonderfully fantastic than she could've possibly ever conceived of.

What additional wonders would be presented to her in the future? What new extraordinary, eccentric adventures would greet the riders of the Lightning Road and those close to them?

Tomorrow, she'd go searching and find out, in this fanciful wonderland they all called home. Cretaceous Kingdom, where the most magnificent creatures the planet had ever known lived once again.

 _"And they all grew up together in the valley, generation upon generation, each passing on to the next, the tale of their ancestors' journey…long ago."_ The Land Before Time _, 1988, Universal Studios._

* * *

 **I want to express my thanks towards Dr. Thomas Holtz Jr. of the University of Maryland, master and enthusiast of all things tyrannosaurid and an active cosplayer, for his permission to appear in this final chapter. I've tried to capture the mannerisms and personality of both him and Dr. Paul Sereno to the best of my ability. And if I've gotten anything wrong, don't worry Tom, I can always go back and edit!**

 **Michael Wu's Cantonese name, and the tattoo on his mother's back, deliberately draw on the symbolism of three different cultural forms of the phoenix, the classical Greek, the Chinese, and the Korean versions. The Greek phoenix is famous for gathering frankincense and other fragrant herbs at the end of its long life to fashion into a nest, and then lighting it on fire, dying in the blaze. Then, in the charred ashes, something stirs, and out comes the renewed chick of the phoenix, even more magnificent than before.**

 **The Chinese phoenix doesn't go in for such a spectacular and painful practice. An immortal bird, it symbolizes high virtue and grace, as well as the harmony of yin and yang. Female in nature, it also represents blissful, loving relations between husband and wife when paired with the dragon. It is often viewed as a creature that makes itself known in times of peace and happiness, or to herald the start of a grand new era. Last but not least, it has powerful connections to the imperial house.**

 **Last of all, the Korean phoenix is associated with royalty-which the Wu's are very much living like here.**

 **It is also with a mixture of both regret and nostalgia that I must inform all my followers and friends on this site that this final chapter is the last piece of fan work I will ever be posting on this site. This is my swan song, sorry to say. Why I've come to this decision is a matter I'll go into more detail with in a larger author's note I'll be posting later.**

 **Does this mean I'll be washing my hands of this community completely? Hell no! I love reading good fanfiction here for movies and books that I love, and I'll keep on favoriting, following, reviewing and PM'ing here for a long time to come, trust me.**

 **But when it comes to adding my own bricks to this constantly growing castle of imagination and explored possibilities...it's been very nice knowing you guys and gals.**

 **For the very last time, tell me how you liked this satisfying trip into fantasy. Peace out.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Author's Note and Farewell.**

 **As I said in my last chapter, this is my final story for fanfiction dot net. Parting is such sweet sorrow indeed, and I'll miss the fun of sharing the products of my imagination with others in this great big cyber-sandbox.**

 **But it has to be this way. You see, for me writing fanfiction has now become a case of diminishing returns. I greatly like to educate people, give them an exciting ride with my words and paragraphs-but I also greatly enjoy that dopamine rush I get whenever I see a review after a chapter has been posted, the stroke to the ego, the acknowledgement that my efforts were looked at and someone took pleasure in them, the idea that I pushed on cyberspace by uploading well-researched, time-consuming, mentally straining work...and cyberspace pushed back.**

 **Unfortunately, things have gotten to a point now where in my opinion, the amount of effort I put into fics simply jusisn't the paltry amount of responses I get...literally often just one or two per chapter. And as a person with a very sharp intellect, a high I.Q., yes, I'll admit that I most appreciate reviews which go into some detail about the chapter. They act as a sort of substitute for the intelligent conversations that I so love to have with others, but frustratingly, don't often get the chance to partake in in my current living circumstances. I don't want to come across as snobbish, mind you. Just a simple complete sentence about what a reader did/didn't like about a chapter-or even if it was worth their time-already counts as a treasure in itself to me.**

 **And speaking of time...**

 **Writing fanfiction, and the quest for new praises in the review box, soon became an addiction for me when I first began. And, as addictions so often do, it has taken a lot of precious time and energy out of my life that I really should've been spending doing other, more immediate things. In four months, I will be turning thirty-three, the same age as Henry Wu, and the thought is making me have a third-life crisis...mostly having to do with the fact that I HAVE NO FUCKING LIFE AT ALL! And this damn site has played no small part in bringing me down that road. Only lately have I been snapping out of it. Turns out, I can enjoy the company of actual people sharing my _breathing_ space just as well as those of people in my _cyber_ space. I can also have equally mentally satisfying and stimulating conversations with my fellow human beings face-to-face, in the same room, as I can over PMs and through reviews.**

 **I don't know if it's too late for me to have a complete, fulfilling life like so many of my classmates and family members are living. But I do know I won't have my own place to call home, a wife of my own, a job I enjoy, if I keep pissing my time away writing fics for this site. I've got to cut it loose. Just like with any harmful addiction.**

 **Last but certainly not least, when I began writing stories for this site, besides enjoying the experience of playing with characters from works of fiction I deeply like and getting reviews for my troubles...well, I also did it to educate my readers. This was particularly true when it came to the joys of science, and of the magnificent, sometimes savage, but always awesome and NEVER boring natural world and its creatures that were such a huge part of my life growing up in a semi-rural Minnesota home in the mid and late 1980's. I thought I'd make a difference somehow, do my part to halt a horrific, heartbreaking "extinction spasm," that our planet hasn't seen for 65 million years, keep the glass from tipping irreversibly over.**

 **What an utter fucking idiot I was to believe that. I don't think I need to comment too much on the ghastly symbolism of how the modern avatar of our sick, fucked-up, omnicidal civilization seems to be a zombie. A zombie, for Christ's sake! And believe me, it's fitting. We're all the living dead, folks. Many just don't know/won't accept it yet. That's not hyperbole either. And if any baby boomers are reading this...your generation owes mine, and every living thing on this earth _that you were supposed to hold in trust for your descendants_ a gigantic apology. And even then, don't you dare trick yourself into thinking that will EVER be enough.**

 **Switching tack here, I'm truly sorry to be saying goodbye to all my followers, fans, and yes, even some friends I've made on this site. Once more, I want to assure everyone that I'm by no means washing my hands of this site completely, and will keep making my presence known through reviews, PMs, and so on.**

 **But I need to do this to move on with my long-delayed development as a functioning adult, and because the returns don't justify the labor. Keep writing for me, folks. Be seeing you around. :)**

 **Your fellow writer, Nathan Hofstad.**


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